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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26102725">Chosen</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83'>Dahlia_Rose_83</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Choices [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Book 7 AU, Deathly Hallows AU, Horcrux Hunting, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sirius Black Lives, because of the battle of Hogwarts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:48:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>51,501</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26102725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The war begins. Harry, Draco and the others go on the hunt for Horcruxes. Relationships are put to the test and ugly truths are reveiled.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Choices [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/862484</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>332</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, first of all I'm so so sorry that it took me so long to get started with this fic. I wanted to be done ages ago, but for some reason this part is giving me so much trouble. You wouldn't believe it. I'm still not quite sure on some things, so I most likely won't be able to update all that regularly. I hope it's going to get better once I've finished a few chapters, but I'm not making promises. Oh well, only one: I fully plan on finishing this fic/series. I won't abandon it. It might take a while, though. Please be patient.</p><p>That said, a big thanks for the title suggestions. I had a hard time deciding which one to use. And also a big thanks for your patience. I know I've kept you waiting. Sorry again.</p><p>And now on to the story...</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry sat on his bed with his back to the wall, staring at the locket he was turning over and over in his hands without really seeing it. His mind was far away, wandering the same dark path it had for over an hour now. He was so caught up in his musings that he didn’t even hear the door opening. Therefore he startled when Sirius suddenly flopped down beside him.<br/> <br/>“Brooding again?” the animagus asked way too cheerfully.<br/>When Harry only shrugged in response, he nudged him in the side. “Come on, tell me what’s bothering you, prongslet.”<br/>“Nothing.”<br/>“Sure. Everything’s fine. That’s why you’re sitting here staring at nothing, while Draco’s pacing down in the living room, muttering about stubborn idiots.”<br/> <br/>Another shrug had Sirius sighing in frustration. “You know, I can be a stubborn bastard, too. More stubborn than you I’ll bet. So why don’t you save us both some time and tell me what’s wrong already? Otherwise we’ll be sitting here until dinner.” he threatened. “You had a fight with Draco, I take it? Another fight, I should probably say.”<br/> <br/>“Yeah.”<br/>“What was it about this time?”<br/>Harry finally looked at his godfather. “He called me a melodramatic idiot.”<br/>Sirius snorted. “Takes one to know one, I guess.”<br/>“I’m not melodramatic!” the young wizard protested.<br/>“Not as much as your boyfriend.”<br/>“You’re a great help.”<br/> <br/>The sulky comment made Sirius grin. “Why did he call you dramatic? What did you do?”<br/>“Because he’s an arse.”<br/>“Harry, what did you do? What did you do? Come on, tell me. Tell me.” <br/>“Maybe I complained. Just a bit.” Harry admitted.<br/>“Ahh..”<br/>“I’m going crazy here, Sirius! I should be out there, looking for Horcruxes or…”<br/> <br/>“It’s only a few more days.” Sirius interrupted.<br/>“We’ve already lost so much time.”<br/>“We didn’t lose time, Harry. You know that Moony and I haven’t been idle. Neither has the rest of the Order.”<br/> <br/>“Yeah. You’re all out doing something productive. I bet even Ron and Hermione are. And all I can do is sit here and wait until I finally turn seventeen.”<br/>“Which you do in two days.” the animagus reminded.<br/>“I can’t stand just sitting around and waiting.”<br/> <br/>“I know. Believe me, Harry. If there’s anyone who knows what it feels like, it’s me. I’ve been there. I know how frustrated you are. But it can’t be helped. Right now you’ve still got the trace. With the way old Voldy and his cronies have been undermining the Ministry it would only be a matter of hours until they catch you. And we can’t let that happen.”<br/> <br/>“Yes, I know.” Harry grumbled. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”<br/>“Of course you don’t. But that’s no reason to bite Draco’s head off when he’s only trying to help.”<br/> <br/>Harry sighed in defeat. He didn’t mean to fight with Draco. He hated fighting with his boyfriend. But after being locked up for the better part of the summer, unable to do anything while Voldemort’s power grew, his nerves were frayed and his temper often got the better of him. And since Draco was always quick to retaliate, they had clashed more and more often as the weeks wore on.<br/> <br/>“Perhaps I should have listened to Moony and not put you in a room together.” Sirius mused.<br/>“It’s not your fault. We wanted it that way, remember?”<br/> <br/>At first they had jumped at the chance of sharing a room. Being able to sleep in the same bed, without one of them having to sneak through the strange, old house had sounded glorious. And it had been glorious. At first. But they weren’t used to spending that much time in such close quarters. And no matter how much he loved Draco, in some things they were polar opposites. They would always fight. He’d known that. Of course he had. He just hadn’t thought they’d still fight this bad.<br/> <br/>“What’s that you got there?” Sirius finally changed the subject.<br/> <br/>Harry stared down at the locket. He’d completely forgotten that he was still clutching it in his hand. He’d taken it out more and more often lately, staring at it, as if he expected to suddenly find an answer. Draco and him had fought about that as well. The Slytherin kept telling him to either show it to the Order or throw it away. But Harry couldn’t part from it. Not when getting it had cost so much.<br/> <br/>“It’s the fake Horcrux.” he admitted quietly.<br/>“You kept it?” Sirius asked in obvious surprise. Harry had finally told him all about what had happened in the cave a few weeks ago.<br/>“Draco thinks I should get rid of it. But I just … can’t.”<br/>“Can I see it?”<br/> <br/>He handed it over with a bit of reluctance. He’d only shown it to Draco, Ron and Hermione so far. Only a few more people knew it even existed. For some reason he didn’t want to let it out of his sight, no matter how stupid that was. He watched as Sirius examined it, frowning thoughtfully.<br/> <br/>“You know, this looks familiar somehow.”<br/>“Draco reckons it’s a copy of Slytherin’s locket.” Harry muttered.<br/>“Hmm.. I could swear I’ve seen this before…”<br/> <br/>Sirius continued to examine the locket, finally opening it and unfolding the note within. Harry felt the by now familiar pang. They’d been too late. Dumbledore had died for nothing. And now, weeks later, he was still no nearer to finding the next Horcrux.<br/> <br/>A gasp from Sirius cut through his dark musings.<br/>“Sirius? What’s wrong?”<br/>His godfather looked shaken. Like he’d just seen a ghost. “I know who wrote this note.”<br/>“You… really?”<br/> <br/>Sirius turned to him with a sad little smile. “It’s been years, but I still recognize the handwriting. RAB – Regulus Arcturus Black. My brother wrote that.”<br/> <br/>Harry was stunned speechless. He didn’t know much about Regulus. Sirius almost never spoke of his brother, or any of his family for that matter. He only knew that Regulus had been a Death Eater. That he’d joined Voldemort without really knowing what he was getting into and once he’d realized what a psycho Voldemort really was, it had been too late to get out.<br/> <br/>“I never found out how he died.” Sirius whispered. “I thought he was a coward. And now…”<br/> <br/>Now he had to realize that his brother had done something incredibly brave. That he’d tried to stop Voldemort, instead of just running away. Harry could imagine how he felt. It was a bit like finding out that the father you idolized had been a bully in his own youth.<br/> <br/>He jumped in shock when Sirius suddenly sprang to his feet, staring at him wide-eyed.<br/>“I remember where I’ve seen it before!”<br/>“The locket?”<br/>“One like it, more precisely. Maybe the real Horcrux.” <br/>Harry’s heart was hammering in his chest. “Where?”<br/>“Grimmauld Place. It was among the chunk we threw out.”<br/> <br/>And suddenly Harry remembered it, too. An ugly thing, Sirius had said. And they hadn’t been able to open it, so they had thrown it out.<br/> <br/>“We threw away a Horcrux.” he muttered in disbelief.<br/>“If it really is one.”<br/>“It must be. Your brother stole it and then he hid it at Grimmauld Place.”<br/>“Sounds likely.” Sirius agreed with a sigh.<br/> <br/>“And what do we do now?” Harry asked.<br/>“Well, if we’re lucky, Kreacher has smuggled it into his nest, like he did with some of the other stuff. If not, we’ll have to find out where it went. I guess this means a trip to Grimmauld Place.”<br/>“Okay, let’s go.”<br/>“Harry…”<br/>“Sirius, please. You can at least let me come to Grimmauld Place with you.” he nearly begged.<br/>“Alright.” his godfather relented. “But I’ll have to talk it through with Moony first.”<br/> <br/>After Dumbledore’s death they’d had to give up Grimmauld Place. Now that their secret keeper was dead, everyone who had been let in on the location was like a new secret keeper. And that included Snape. Mad-Eye Moody had taken some precautions. He’d placed jinxes against Snape on the house, which also should bind his tongue and keep him from leading his Death Eater pals into headquarters. But they couldn’t be sure if those worked and the risk was just too high.<br/> <br/>After a few lengthy discussions, which Harry hadn’t been privy to, the Order had agreed to use the Burrow as new headquarters. But the Weasley home was crowded enough already, without additional people moving in. So Sirius, Remus, Draco and Harry had moved to Fern Cottage, which Deadalus Diggle had inherited from his great-aunt Dorothea years ago.</p><p>It was a good hiding place, located in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but empty fields, marshes and the occasional cluster of trees for miles and miles. The Order had placed strong wards all around the property and it was also protected by the Fidelius charm, with Mad-Eye as secret keeper. Harry suspected that Fern Cottag had actually been a really nice place once. But no-one had stayed here for over a decade, which meant that it was in almost as bad shape as Grimmauld Place had been. He still liked it better than Privet Drive.<br/> <br/>Hermione was currently staying with the Weasleys. She had altered her parents’ memories and sent them to Australia to stay with extended family for their own safety. And Ron was supposedly dying of Spattergroit, though only his father and the twins were in on that plan. Mrs. Weasley already suspected that they were up to something and kept watching her youngest son like a hawk. Harry and Draco hadn’t gotten much chance to talk to him alone during their few, brief visits to the Burrow.</p><p>The two of them had mostly been confined to Fern Cottage for the summer. They also hadn’t received many visitors, since only a handful of people knew where Harry was staying. Tonks and her mother had come over a few times and Mad-Eye sometimes brought news. But aside from that they’d been completely cut off from the outside world.<br/> <br/>“I’ll talk to Moony. See if we need additional security.” Sirius promised. “But that’s probably going to take some time. I suggest you use that time to make up with your boyfriend.” His tone clearly said that it was no suggestion.<br/> <br/>Harry nodded and followed his godfather downstairs. While Sirius went left towards the kitchen, he padded down the corridor to the living room. Draco had stopped pacing and was now sitting in an armchair with a book in his lap. Harry stopped in the doorway and just watched him for a moment.<br/> <br/>“Are you going to come in?” Draco’s voice cut through the silence.<br/>Harry shuffled closer. “I’m sorry.”<br/>“For?” the blond prompted, looking up at him.<br/>“Yelling at you? Saying stupid things? Being an arse in general?”<br/> <br/>Draco just stared at him for a couple of seconds. Then he sighed, got up and pulled the younger boy into a hard kiss. Harry felt a little dazed when they broke apart again.<br/> <br/>“Wow! What was that for?” <br/>“I’m listening to Remus’ advice. He told me that whenever I want to punch you in the face, I should just snog you senseless instead. That’s apparently how he deals with your godfather.”<br/>“I like that advice.” Harry said with a grin.<br/>Draco just snorted.<br/> <br/>“I know I’m not exactly… easy to live with lately.”<br/>“That’s an understatement, Potter!”<br/>“Sorry. It’s just … so frustrating, not being able to do anything.”<br/>“I know, Harry. I get it. But that’s no reason to take your frustration out on me! I’m trying to help you! And I’m just as much stuck here as you are.”<br/>“I know. And I’m really, really sorry. I’ll try to do better, okay?”<br/>“Not yelling at me whenever I suggest something would be a good start.”<br/>“Okay. No more yelling. Promise.”<br/> <br/>Draco didn’t look like he believed him. Harry wasn’t sure that he could hold that promise, either. But he would try. Because Draco had no reason to stay with him. He could have taken off as soon as he’d turned seventeen. But he hadn’t. He was still here, despite all their fights. Despite Harry’s ugly temper. And he was extremely grateful for that.<br/> <br/>“I had a talk with Sirius.” he finally changed the subject.<br/>“Hmmm… maybe I should let him handle you when you’re in a funk from now on.”<br/>“Maybe.” Harry agreed. “I showed him the locket.”<br/>“Did you now?”<br/>“I did. And I should’ve listened to you and done it sooner, because he recognized it.”<br/>“He recognized it?”<br/>“It was among the junk we threw away when we were cleaning out Grimmauld Place.”<br/> <br/>Draco looked at him in shock. “Are you sure?” he checked.<br/>“A hundred percent sure. It was most likely the real Horcrux. Sirius also found out that his brother wrote the note. He must’ve stolen the Horcrux and hidden it at Grimmauld Place.”<br/>“R.A.B. - Regulus Arcturus Black. Of course!”<br/> <br/>“Yeah. So we’re heading over to Grimmauld Place. Sirius thinks if we’re lucky, Kreacher has kept the locket.” Harry let his boyfriend know.<br/>“We?”<br/>“He said I could come. It’s only Grimmauld Place. It’s not that dangerous.”<br/>“Right.” Draco said doubtfully. “I’m coming with you.”<br/> <br/>He looked at Harry as if daring him to argue. But the younger boy was actually glad for the support. It meant that Draco had forgiven him yet again, even though he probably didn’t deserve it.<br/> <br/>“Great.” he agreed. “Let’s see if Sirius and Remus are ready to go, okay?”<br/> <br/>Draco looked surprised that he’d given in so easily, but he agreed, so they made their way to the kitchen. They could already hear the two men arguing from afar. It was obvious that Remus wasn’t too fond of the idea of Harry coming along.<br/> <br/>“...way too dangerous!”<br/>“Come on, Moony. The poor boy is going stir-crazy. And it’s only Grimmauld Place. It’s not that dangerous.”<br/>“We gave up Grimmauld Place for a reason, Sirius.”<br/>“Actually it was more of a precaution. Even Mad-Eye said so. And so far his protections are holding up.”<br/>“Yes, so far.”<br/>“Stop being so damn pessimistic. Harry will be perfectly safe with us. And it shouldn’t even take long.”<br/> <br/>Draco rolled his eyes and entered the kitchen, announcing their presence to the older men. Harry followed quickly.<br/> <br/>“We’re coming with you!” he declared hotly.<br/>“Harry...”<br/>“Just say yes already.” Draco cut in. “Arguing is pointless. You know he won’t back down. And it might even make him less cranky.”<br/> <br/>Remus looked from one to the other. Finally he sighed in defeat.<br/>“Fine. But you’re not using magic unless you absolutely have to. You’re sticking close to Draco and if it gets dangerous he’s going to apparate both of you back here immediately. Understood?”<br/> <br/>Harry seemed to realize that this was the best he was going to get, because instead of arguing that he was perfectly capable of apparating himself, he simply agreed.<br/> <br/>“Good, let’s go then.” Sirius urged.<br/>“We’ll apparate into the entrance hall. Be careful and keep your wands ready.” Remus cautioned.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the lovely and encouraging comments. They really made my day(s).<br/>I've got the second chapter finished and I planned out the next two or three, so hopefully I'll get those done a little quicker. Though I can't promise anything. Work is a little hectic at the moment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco took out his wand, grabbed Harry’s hand and apparated. Seconds later they were standing in the hallway of Grimmauld Place, looking around cautiously. At first glance nothing seemed out of place. But suddenly they heard Mad-Eye Moody’s voice whispering out of the darkness.<br/> <br/>“Severus Snape?”<br/> <br/>Something whooshed over them like cold air and Draco felt his tongue curl backwards on itself. It lasted only a second, before it unfurled again. The unpleasant sensation had him shuddering. Next to him Harry gasped. So that thing with binding Snape’s tongue had been meant literally. Good to know.<br/> <br/>Sirius and Remus appeared unaffected. The animagus walked further along the hallway, causing a figure to rise up out of the carpet, tall and dust-coloured and so horribly altered that it was hard to recognize it as Albus Dumbledore. It glided towards them, raising a wasted arm and pointing it at Sirius.<br/> <br/>Draco grabbed Harry’s arm, ready to apparate them out of there, but there was no need. Sirius shouted. “We didn’t kill you!” and the figure exploded in a cloud of dust. Of course the ruckus woke up the portrait of Sirius’ mother. The curtains flew open and she started shrieking. Remus quickly shot a spell at her. With a bang the curtains closed again and the hall fell silent.<br/> <br/>“A little warning would have been nice.” Draco grumbled.<br/>“Oops.” Sirius replied with a grin.<br/>Remus shook his head and raised his wand again. “Homenum revelio.”<br/> <br/>They all waited with baited breath, but nothing happened.<br/>“No-one here but us.” Remus explained, the relief in his voice evident.<br/>“Great. Come on then.” Sirius urged.<br/> <br/>He strode across the hallway and into the kitchen, heading straight for Kreacher’s cupboard and wrenching the door open. There was a nest of dirty old blankets, just like Draco remembered, but they were no longer glittering with trinkets. Sirius grabbed the blankets and shook them. But all that fell out were a dead mouse and an old book.<br/> <br/>Harry visibly deflated and Draco felt disappointed as well. Of course it couldn’t have been that easy. Had he really expected any different? Sirius however wasn’t ready to give up. He yelled for Kreacher. There was a crack and the old house elf appeared out of nowhere, glaring at all of them in turn.<br/> <br/>“Master has returned.” he croaked with a low bow. “Along with the half-breed and...”<br/>“Shut up!” Sirius ordered harshly and the elf fell silent. “We have a few questions for you. And you’re going to answer them truthfully, understood?”<br/>“Yes, Master.”<br/> <br/>“Two years ago, when we were cleaning out the drawing room, we found a big gold locket. And we threw it out. Did you steal it back?”<br/> <br/>Kreacher was silent for a moment. Then he straightened up to look at Sirius with an air of defiance and simply said, “Yes.”<br/> <br/>Harry started fidgeting and Draco waited with baited breath. Could it be that easy after all?<br/> <br/>“Where is it now?” Sirius asked.<br/>Kreacher closed his eyes. “Gone.”<br/>“Gone?” Sirius echoed doubtfully. “What the hell do you mean, gone?”<br/> <br/>The elf shivered, but didn’t answer. Sirius looked about ready to strangle him.<br/>“You disgusting little …”<br/>“Sirius.” Remus cut in sternly.<br/> <br/>“Mundungus Fletcher.” the elf croaked suddenly, his eyes still tightly shut. “Fletcher stole it all. Miss Bella and Miss Cissy’s pictures, my mistress’s gloves, the goblets with the family crest and … and … and the locket! Master Regulus’s locket. Kreacher did wrong. Kreacher failed his orders!”<br/> <br/>He opened his eyes with a loud sob and then lunged for the poker standing in the grate, but luckily Harry was faster. He threw himself at the elf and pressed him down into the ground. Which was no easy feat, because Kreacher kept struggling against his hold.<br/> <br/>“Sirius, a little help!”<br/>“Kreacher, stay still!” Sirius bellowed.<br/> <br/>For once the old elf obeyed immediately. He froze and Harry let go of him cautiously. Kreacher didn’t move. He lay on the cold stone floor and continued to weep.<br/> <br/>“How do you know that Fletcher stole the locket?” Sirius asked.<br/>“Kreacher saw him!” the elf gasped, crying even harder. “Kreacher told the sneakthief to stop, but Mundungus Fletcher laughed and ran...”<br/> <br/>“Why did you call it Master Regulus’s locket?” Harry wanted to know, getting to his feet again.<br/> <br/>But Kreacher didn’t answer. He just continued to sob noisily. Sirius poked him roughly with his boot. “Answer him!”<br/>“Sirius!” Remus cut in again. “That’s not the way to go about this.”<br/>“I’ve had it up to here with that slimy little ...”<br/> <br/>“Why don’t you let Harry handle Kreacher?” Draco suggested. He knew how much Sirius despised the old elf. And vice versa. He couldn’t even blame his cousin. There was nothing likeable about that bloody elf. But they needed Kreacher if they wanted to find the locket. And Harry just had a way of dealing with house elves.<br/> <br/>Sirius looked surprised by the idea. But finally he shrugged. “Fine by me. Kreacher, I order you to obey Harry.”<br/> <br/>Harry glanced at Draco, who gave him an encouraging nod. “Alright. Kreacher, sit up and tell us everything you know about that locket and what Regulus had to do with it.”<br/> <br/>The elf sat up, curled into a ball and began to rock backwards and forwards. But he dutifully began to speak.<br/> <br/>“Master Sirius ran away.” he started, shooting a glare at Sirius before continuing, “But Master Regulus had proper pride; he knew what was due to the name of Black and the dignity of his pure blood. For years he talked of the Dark Lord, who was going to bring the wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and Mudbloods.”<br/> <br/>Draco shuddered at the casual use of the word Mudblood, reminded how he himself had used that word in the past. But Kreacher continued talking, telling them how Regulus had joined the Death Eaters when he’d been sixteen and he shook off the thought and forced himself to listen to the gruesome tale.<br/> <br/>Kreacher told them that Voldemort had required an elf and that Regulus had volunteered him. He started rocking faster, his breath coming out in hitched sobs. But he continued to talk. It seemed almost as if he was glad to finally be able to get it off his chest.<br/> <br/>“So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord took Kreacher with him to a cave beside the sea. And beyond the cave there was a cavern, with a great black lake. And there was a boat...”<br/> <br/>Draco looked over at Harry, who had gone ghostly pale, staring at the elf. He knew, without having to ask, that Kreacher was talking about the cave where Dumbledore had taken Harry. The cave where they’d found the fake Horcrux. Without thinking he reached out and grabbed Harry’s hand, offering silent support as Kreacher went on.<br/> <br/>“There was a basin full of p...potion on the island. The Dark Lord… m...made Kreacher drink it.”<br/>The elf quaked from head to foot. “Kreacher drank and as he drank he saw terrible things… Kreacher’s insides burned… Kreacher cried for Master Regulus to save him, but the Dark Lord only laughed. He made Kreacher drink all the potion… he dropped a locket into the empty basin and …. filled it with more potion. And then the Dark Lord sailed away, leaving Kreacher on the island.”<br/> <br/>“How did you get away?” Harry asked in a whisper.<br/>“Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back.”<br/>“Yes, I know. But how did you escape the Inferi?”<br/>“Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back.” the elf repeated.<br/> <br/>“He must have disapparated.” Draco mused.<br/>“But… you couldn’t apparate in and out of the cave!” Harry protested.<br/>“Elf magic is different than wizard magic. I never really gave it much thought. I guess most wizards don’t. But elves have their own special powers. They can apparate in and out of Hogwarts, while we can’t, for example.”<br/> <br/>“The house-elf’s highest law is his master’s bidding.” Kreacher intoned. “Kreacher was told to come home, so Kreacher came home.”<br/> <br/>It looked like Harry needed a moment to digest this, but finally he nodded and asked, “So what happened when you got home? Did you tell Regulus where you’d been?”<br/> <br/>“Master Regulus was very worried.” Kreacher croaked. “Master Regulus told Kreacher to stay hidden and not leave the house. And then… a while later, Master Regulus came to find Kreacher in his cupboard one night and Master Regulus was strange, disturbed in his mind, Kreacher could tell. And he asked Kreacher to take him to the cave...”<br/> <br/>“And he made you drink the potion?” Harry asked, clearly disgusted.<br/> <br/>But Kreacher shook his head and wept. “Master Regulus took from his pocket a locket like the one the Dark Lord had.” he said. Tears were streaming down his face.<br/>Draco felt a sudden surge of pity for the old elf. It was clear to see that he was suffering immensely.<br/> <br/>“And he told Kreacher to take it. And to switch the lockets when the basin was empty.” His sobbing was getting worse. It was hard to understand him.<br/>“And he orderer Kreacher … to leave without him. And he told Kreacher … to go home and … never to tell my mistress what he had done… And to destroy the … first locket. And he drank the … potion and Kreacher swapped … the lockets and … watched as… as… Master Regulus was dragged beneath the water...”<br/> <br/>“No.”<br/> <br/>Sirius’ broken whisper made all of them look at him. He had one hand clapped over his mouth and Draco could see tears glistening in his eyes. Remus wordlessly pulled him into a hug and Draco turned away. He couldn’t even guess what Sirius must be feeling, now that he knew the truth about his brother’s death.<br/> <br/>Harry watched his godfather helplessly. He seemed torn between wanting to go over and offer comfort and wanting to turn away and give Sirius some privacy. In the end Kreacher decided for him, by continuing his tale.<br/> <br/>“Kreacher tried to destroy it, but nothing would work. So many powerful spells on the casing. And it would not open. Kreacher punished himself and tried again. He punished himself and tried again. Kreacher failed to obey orders. Kreacher could not destroy the locket! And Kreacher’s mistress was mad with grief and Kreacher could not tell her...”<br/> <br/>He began to sob so hard that there were no more coherent words. Draco felt about ready to start sobbing, too. He was no fan of the old elf by far, but he pitied him nonetheless. Kreacher had obviously adored Regulus. And then he’d been forced to watch him die and he hadn’t even been able to carry out his last orders...<br/> <br/>Harry looked very troubled as well. He kept glancing from the sobbing elf to Sirius, who was now sitting hunched over, with his head buried in his hands. Remus was rubbing soothing circles on his back.<br/> <br/>“I’m starting to think Hermione might be right.” Harry whispered after a while.<br/>“She usually is. Which is very infuriating.” Draco pointed out. “So what exactly are you referring to?”<br/>“That we should treat house-elves better.”<br/> <br/>Draco could not disagree. He’d grown up watching his father treat house-elves like dirt. Not that Lucius had treated people much better. And still Dobby had been kind to Draco, even when Draco had imitated his father’s cruelty.<br/> <br/>After a while Harry cleared his throat and very politely asked Kreacher to sit up. Hermione would no doubt have been very proud of him, had she been here. Then he finally took off the fake Horcrux and gave it to Kreacher, stating that Regulus would have wanted him to have it. But being presented with a family heirloom of his own was seemingly too much for the old elf, for he burst into tears again.<br/> <br/>“Bit of an overkill, Harry.” Draco commented drily.<br/>Harry shrugged sheepishly. “It seemed like a good idea.”<br/>“Hmm… at least you can’t brood over the damn thing any longer. So it’s definitely a step up.”<br/> <br/>“It was a nice gesture.” Remus said, making both boys look at him. “And I’m sure Kreacher appreciates it. But we still need to find the real Horcrux. And I guess that means we have to track down Mundungus. Which will be no easy feat. He knows how to hide.”<br/> <br/>“Kreacher can do it.” the elf spoke up suddenly. “Kreacher can find the nasty thief.”<br/>“That… that would be great.” Harry stammered. “Right?”<br/>“It would certainly save us a lot of trouble.” Remus agreed.<br/>“Good. Then go and find Mungungus, Kreacher. And when you’ve found him...” Harry looked at Remus for help.<br/>“Bring him here and alert us.” the werewolf suggested.<br/> <br/>To everyone’s surprise the elf nodded. Draco had expected him to say something nasty, like he wouldn’t take orders from a half-breed, but it seemed that he liked the idea of tracking down Fletcher so much that he could even overlook Remus’s status.<br/> <br/>“Kreacher.” Sirius cut in. They all swivelled around to stare at him. Draco waited anxiously what his cousin had to say. It wouldn’t do to aggravate Kreacher now. Not when he’d just agreed to help them. And now that he’d heard his tale, he felt that the elf couldn’t be held fully responsible for the stuff he kept muttering. An experience like that could drive anyone insane.<br/> <br/>Remus looked unsure as well, but Sirius surprised them all by ordering: “I’m giving you to Harry, Kreacher. He’s your master now. You will obey him as you obeyed Regulus, understood?”<br/> <br/>“Kreacher understands. He will obey master Harry.” the old elf croaked. Draco thought he even looked a bit glad at the prospect. With a final bow in Harry’s direction he disapparated with the usual loud crack. Obviously off to find Fletcher.<br/> <br/>Harry stared at his godfather in shock. “Why did you do that?”<br/>“Spontaneous idea.” Sirius claimed with a shrug. “I hate the bloody elf. The sight of him makes me sick. But we all know I can’t set him free. And you seem to be pretty good at handling him.”<br/> <br/>“I think it’s a good solution.” Remus sounded pleasantly surprised. “As long as Harry is okay with it.”<br/>“Err… sure. I mean… it’s not like I have to take care of him or something. Right?”<br/>Draco snorted. “Kreacher is a house-elf, not a pet. He can take care of himself.”<br/>“Good. Well then, I guess it’s okay.”<br/>“Alright. Now that’s settled, I suggest we leave. Kreacher will alert us once he’s caught Mundungus. There’s no reason to take the risk of staying here.” Remus decided.<br/> <br/>The others agreed, so they apparated back to Fern Cottage, where Sirius disappeared upstairs without a word. Harry looked from the stairs to Remus uncertainly.<br/> <br/>“I think he needs some time to himself.” the werewolf said quietly. “It’s a lot to take in and I know that he likes to pretend otherwise, but he did care for his brother.”<br/>“Will he be okay?”<br/>“Of course he will. He’s tough. Just give him some space.”<br/> <br/>So Harry tramped down the urge to go after his godfather and instead allowed Draco to drag him to the living room. They took a seat on the couch and discussed the day’s events.<br/> <br/>“I still can’t believe that Sirius gave Kreacher to me.”<br/>“Yeah, I was surprised, too.” Draco agreed. “But I think Remus is right. It’s a good solution.”<br/>“You really think so?”<br/>“Of course. He can’t free him and you have a knack for handling house-elves. Just look at Dobby.”<br/> <br/>“But I actually like Dobby.” Harry protested. “I have no idea how I feel about Kreacher now. I mean, I sort of pity him, after what he told us today. But then he goes and calls Hermione mudblood and stuff like that and I get why Sirius doesn’t like him.”<br/> <br/>“You don’t have to like him, Harry. I think not mistreating him is enough. And it’s not like he’s around constantly. You won’t have to see him all that often.”<br/> <br/>Of course Draco was right. He often was, even if it annoyed Harry to admit it. He should be used to it from dealing with Hermione, but it was a different matter when it concerned his boyfriend. Probably because Draco could be a real prick sometimes. Which he decided to prove right that moment.<br/> <br/>“I can’t wait to tell Hermione that you own a house-elf now.”<br/>“Don’t you dare. She’ll take it the wrong way and start lecturing me about house-elf rights.”<br/>“That’s what I’m counting on.” the blond said with a grin.<br/>“You’re evil.”<br/>“Hmm… Slytherin, remember?”<br/> <br/>***<br/> <br/>Sirius came back down in time for dinner. He seemed a little more subdued than usual, but otherwise fine, which helped to alleviate Harry’s worry a bit. Tonight it was their turn to do the dishes and for once he was actually glad about the chore. It gave him the perfect opportunity to talk to his godfather alone.<br/> <br/>“Are you okay?”<br/>Sirius gave him a tired smile. “I’m fine, prongslet. No need to worry.”<br/>Harry wasn’t really convinced, which obviously showed on his face.<br/> <br/>“It was a shock, I’ve got to admit. I always thought my brother was a coward. That he got killed by one of his Death Eater pals when he tried to get out.”<br/>“What he did was really brave.” Harry said softly.<br/>“Yes, very brave. And very stupid. Guess we had more in common than I ever thought.” Sirius joked.<br/>“Do you miss him?”<br/> <br/>“That’s a tough question, Harry. Truth be told I haven’t thought of him much in the last couple of years. We were close as children. I really liked being a big brother. But even back then Regulus was the good son and I was the black sheep. And once I went to Hogwarts and got sorted into Gryffindor, our relationship became strained. We mostly ignored each other in school. Then I ran away and after I had graduated I never saw him again. I only heard from others that he’d joined the Death Eaters.”<br/> <br/>“Were you shocked?” Harry wondered.<br/> <br/>“Not really. You know enough about my family by now to guess what kind of people they were. No, I wasn’t even surprised. And back then I also didn’t really care. I had enough on my mind already. It was only later, after he’d disappeared, that I started to wonder if I could have done something to help him. If I could have stopped him from joining the Death Eaters. But we hadn’t spoken to each other in years. I don’t think he would have listened to me.”<br/> <br/>Sirius sighed. “I still wish he would have confided in me. Told me of his stupid plan. Maybe even asked for help. Though I’m not sure if I would have believed him. It was a crazy time back then. You didn’t know who to trust. I might have turned him away, thinking it was a trick. Maybe that’s why he didn’t even try.”<br/> <br/>He visibly shook himself. “Anyway … it’s too late now. Nothing to be done about it. I’m glad I know the truth, but it doesn’t really change anything.”<br/> <br/>Harry heard the unspoken plea in his tone and changed the subject.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the long wait. This chapter was giving me a lot of trouble. I'm still not happy with it, but didn't want to keep you waiting too much longer. Please let me know what you think.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry had thought it would take Kreacher only hours to find Mundungus, but he didn’t hear anything from the old elf for the rest of the day, nor on the next day. And that made him anxious. Once again he was forced to sit around and wait. He did his best not to take his frustration out on Draco this time, but it wasn't easy.<br/> <br/>And then his birthday rolled around and he actually forgot all about Kreacher and Mundungus and the elusive locket for the moment. He was finally 17 and therefore allowed to do magic whenever he pleased. Revelling in the removal of his trace he started the day by summoning his glasses, uncaring of the fact that they were only a foot away.<br/> <br/>A move he quickly regretted when they poked him in the eye and Draco laughed at him.<br/> <br/>Harry scowled. “S’not funny.”<br/>“It’s very funny.”<br/>“Git!”<br/>“Oh, stop pouting. It’s not my fault you’re ridiculous.”<br/>“I’m not pouting.”<br/>“Course not.”<br/>"And I'm not ridiculous either."<br/> <br/>The blond only grinned and handed him a small package.<br/>“Happy birthday.”<br/> <br/>Harry decided to kindly forgive him for the moment and tore into the present. Only to look at Draco questioningly.<br/> <br/>“It’s a wand holster.” the blond explained. “It keeps your wand safe while you don’t need it and allows you to draw it within seconds when you need it. Tonks said it’s pretty similar to what the Aurors use.”<br/> <br/>He took the holster out of Harry’s hands and helped him put it on, before showing him how to sheath and draw his wand.<br/> <br/>„I thought… with what lies ahead of us, you can use every advantage in a fight.“<br/>“It’s great, Draco. Thank you. I love it.”<br/> <br/>And he did. Even if it suddenly reminded him of the danger they were in. With all the waiting around he hadn’t given too much thought for what lay ahead of them. Sure, he’d ranted about going stir-crazy here, but Fern Cottage had also provided a bit of safety. A protective bubble, that separated them from the real world, where people were disappearing or getting killed every day.<br/> <br/>“Hey, don’t look like that.” Draco admonished softly. “It’s your birthday. Which means you’re not allowed to think of the future today. No dark thoughts. Today we’re going to celebrate your coming of age. Tomorrow we’re going to attend a wedding. And then we can tackle the hard stuff. Okay?”<br/> <br/>“Sounds good.” Harry agreed.<br/> <br/>They went downstairs to find a lavish breakfast waiting for them. And of course more presents for Harry. Remus’ present consisted of books with useful spells. He explained that those might come in handy during their hunt for Horcruxes and the dark times ahead. It would be good to be prepared. Sirius gave him a beautiful watch.<br/> <br/>“It’s tradition to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age. Usually the parents chose it. But since James and Lily can’t be here...” he trailed off a little awkwardly and Harry got up to give him a hug, trying to convey without words what the gift meant to him. He remembered how emotional Draco had gotten at his own birthday, when Andromeda had delivered the watch his mother had picked for him. Now he understood his boyfriend’s reaction.<br/> <br/>After breakfast they lounged around outside, enjoying the sunshine and then spent some time playing two-a-side Quidditch in the backyard. In the afternoon they went to the Burrow. Thanks to all the security enchantments it was impossible to travel there by floo or apparition at the moment. So they took a portkey to a nearby field and walked the rest of the way. Despite the fact that Bill and Fleur’s wedding was scheduled for the next day, Mrs. Weasley had insisted on hosting a birthday dinner for Harry. </p><p>Harry had already sent Hedwig ahead a couple of days ago. She would remain at the Burrow for her own safety, while he went off hunting Horcruxes with the others. It had taken him quite some convincing, but in the end she had taken off. He only hoped she would stay put as he'd ordered her to. Ginny and Mr. Weasley had promised to look after her.<br/> <br/>At the Burrow they also met the Delacours, who had arrived the day before. Mrs. Delacour was a beautiful, blonde woman, while Mr. Delacour was a head shorter than his wife and extremely plump, but good-natured. And of course there was also Gabrielle, Fleur’s little sister. With her waist length silvery blonde hair she was a miniature version of Fleur. She immediately started flirting with Harry, much to Ginny’s amusement and Draco’s annoyance. Harry himself seemed completely oblivious and a little surprised when Draco demonstratively put an arm around his waist, while glaring at the girl.<br/> <br/>Hermione took pity on Draco and urged Harry to open his presents. She had bought him a new Sneakoscope. He also got an enchanted razor, a bunch of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes products and lots of sweets. Hagrid was pretty much the last guest to arrive. He presented Harry with a small, slightly furry drawstring pouch. “Mokeskin. Hide anythin in there and no-one but the owner can get it out.” he explained and Harry almost immediately started a mental list of things he wanted to put into the pouch.<br/> <br/>Dinner was served in the garden, since the Burrow’s kitchen was too small to fit everyone. Several tables were placed end to end and Fred and George had bewitched some purple lanterns to hang over the heads of the guests. It looked rather festive. Mrs. Weasley completed the dinner table with a huge cake in the form of a snitch.<br/> <br/>They started without Mr. Weasley, who had gotten held up at work. When he finally arrived he had the Minister in tow, who promptly demanded a private word with Harry, Ron and Hermione. They followed him into the sitting room and Draco was eerily reminded of Christmas. He cast anxious glances towards the house, wondering what Scrimgeour wanted from his boyfriend this time.<br/> <br/>When he heard raised voices, one of them definitely Harry’s, he couldn’t hold back any longer and went to investigate. Most of the Weasleys followed him and Sirius actually sprinted past him, barging into the sitting room without knocking. They found Harry facing off against the Minister. Both of them had their wands drawn and were glaring at each other, while Ron and Hermione watched worriedly from behind Harry.<br/> <br/>“What’s going on here?” Sirius demanded. <br/>Scrimgeour visibly reigned in his temper. “Nothing.” he claimed, sheathing his wand. “Just a little misunderstanding.”<br/> He left quickly after that and Harry explained that he’d been here because of Dumbledore’s will.<br/> <br/>“He left us some things.”<br/>“Why are you only getting them now?” Ginny wondered.<br/>“Because they spent a month investigating them. Looking for hidden clues or whatever.” Hermione explained.<br/>“And now that the 31 days are up and they obviously haven’t found anything, they couldn’t keep them any longer.” Draco finished, understanding dawning. The Ministry really was disgusting.<br/> <br/>They returned outside and Harry explained further. Ron had received Dumbledore’s deluminator. A pretty impressive tool, though Draco had no idea what the hell Ron was supposed to do with it. Hermione had gotten a very old copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, written in runes. And Harry had gotten the snitch he’d caught in his first ever Quidditch match. And the sword of Gryffindor, though the Ministry refused to hand it over, stating that it hadn’t really been Dumbledore’s in the first place, so he had no right to give it away.<br/> <br/>The three objects were passed from hand to hand and carefully examined, but no-one really understood why Dumbledore had wanted Harry, Ron and Hermione to have them. If there was a hidden meaning behind these gifts, they didn’t uncover it.<br/> <br/>Mrs. Weasley finally urged them to put the things away and start eating. Everyone did their best to continue the party as if nothing had happened, but the atmosphere remained tense. After a hasty chorus of Happy Birthday and much gulping of cake, the party broke up. Mrs. Weasley declared that they all needed to get an early start the next day and ushered them to bed. No-one protested.<br/> <br/>The Burrow was already bursting with people, with all the kids (aside from Percy) present and the Delacours on top. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sleeping in the sitting room, after having given their room to the Delacours. Fleur and Gabrielle were sleeping in Percy’s old room, while Bill was sharing with Charlie and Ginny with Hermione. But since travelling here was so complicated due to all the security measures it had been agreed that Harry and the others would spend the night as well. <br/> <br/>Sirius and Remus would camp out in the garden with Hagrid. After a lengthy discussion, Harry and Draco were allowed to share a cot in Ron’s room. Mrs. Weasley wasn’t too pleased with this solution. She felt it would be improper for them to sleep together on a tiny cot and had made a lot of fuss. Sirius’ reasoning that they “are hardly going to shag with Ron only a foot or so away” did little to appease her. But when Harry had suggested that they could also share the tent with Sirius and Remus, she had quickly declared it better for them to sleep in Ron’s room.<br/> <br/>“She’s probably afraid we’d have an orgy in her backyard.” Sirius had mused with a grin.<br/>Harry thought he might even be right about that. Mrs. Weasley didn’t have a very high opinion of his godfather. And Sirius, who was endlessly amused by this, didn't exactly do much to change that.<br/> <br/>When the three boys trudged up to Ron’s room they were surprised to find Hermione already waiting for them.<br/> <br/>“I gave your mum the slip while she was busy with Bill. She’s trying to talk him into a last-minute haircut.” she let Ron know.<br/>“Good luck with that.” the red-head snorted.<br/>“We still won’t have much time. She usually checks in with Ginny and me before she goes to bed. But this is probably the last chance we’ll get to talk privately before tomorrow.”<br/> <br/>They all settled down on the beds and Ron pulled out the Deluminator. They examined it again, but still couldn’t make sense of why Dumbledore had wanted Ron to have it. Same went for the book Hermione had received. She and Harry had never even heard of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, having grown up with Muggles, so Draco and Ron explained that they were wizard children stories.<br/> <br/>“Do you think he knew the Ministry would confiscate his will and examine everything he’d left us?” Harry asked.<br/>“Definitely.” Hermione said at once.<br/>Draco agreed with her. “Which explains why he couldn’t tell you in the will why he was leaving you these things.”<br/>“Yeah, but it doesn’t explain why he couldn’t have given us a hint while he was still alive.” Ron chimed in.<br/> <br/>Draco privately thought that Dumbledore had always been a bit weird and way too secretive, but he didn’t want to say it out loud. He knew that the other three had always been very fond of the old man, even if Harry had admitted to having doubts himself.<br/> <br/>“Leaving Harry an old Snitch – what the hell was that about?” Ron continued.<br/>“When Scrimgeour made you take it, Harry, I was so sure that something was going to happen.” Hermione said.<br/>“Snitches have flesh-memory.” Draco suddenly realized.<br/>“Exactly.”<br/>“Yeah, well… I wasn’t going to try too hard in front of Scrimgeour, was I?” Harry said with a little smile.<br/> <br/>They all looked at him questioningly.<br/>“The Snitch I caught in my first ever Quidditch match. Don’t you remember?”<br/>Ron gasped. “That was the one you nearly swallowed!”<br/>“Exactly.”<br/> <br/>Harry pressed his mouth to the Snitch and they all waited expectantly. At first it looked like nothing would happen. But then writing appeared on the smooth, golden surface. Five tiny words: I open at the close.<br/> Harry had barely read the words out loud when they vanished again. Even more puzzled than before he looked at the others.<br/> <br/>“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, the frustration in his voice clear.<br/>“I have no idea.” Draco had to admit.<br/>The other two didn’t either.<br/> <br/>They talked it through for a few minutes, but couldn’t find any explanation. So they turned their minds to the sword. At least it was clear why Dumbledore had wanted Harry to have it. They already knew that it could destroy Horcruxes. The only question was, why hadn’t he given it to Harry before? If he’d known that his will would be confiscated, he should have realized that the Ministry wouldn’t simply hand over something as valuable as the sword of Gryffindor.<br/> <br/>Since they couldn’t solve this riddle either, Harry and Draco told the other two about the locket. As predicted, Hermione was mostly concerned about poor Kreacher and warned Harry to treat him right. Ron on the other hand cheered at the fact that they had obviously discovered the next Horcrux.<br/> <br/>“No reason to celebrate. It’s a step up, but we still have no idea where it is right now.” Draco reminded.<br/>“But we know that Mundungus has it.” Ron argued.<br/>“We know he stole it. Doesn’t mean he still has it. He might have sold it already.”<br/>The red-head visibly deflated. “Right.”<br/> <br/>Something creaked downstairs and they all held their breath.<br/> <br/>“I guess we don’t have much more time. So maybe we should leave further discussions for tomorrow.” Hermione suggested.<br/>“Good idea.” Ron agreed readily, obviously scared of his mother barging in on them.<br/>“I’ve packed all the important stuff into my bag, in case we have to take off at a moment’s notice.” Hermione went on. “Did you clear things up with Sirius and Remus?”<br/> <br/>“We did.” Harry assured. “Remus made up the two guest bedrooms, so you can come back to Fern Cottage with us right after the wedding.”<br/>“Good. And Ron’s mum hasn’t been let in on the location, right?”<br/>“Yeah. Only Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill, Tonks and her family know.” Draco confirmed.<br/> <br/>This was a mere precaution. The fewer people knew where Harry was currently staying, the safer he’d be. Mrs. Weasley had been very cross about being left out, but even she couldn’t argue with Mad-Eye’s reasoning that it was just as much for her own safety as for Harry’s.<br/> <br/>“Great. That means we only have to shake off mum long enough to get past the wards and disapparate. Piece of cake.” Ron muttered.<br/>“She can’t watch us the whole time. She’ll be busy with the wedding.” Hermione reasoned.<br/>“Let’s hope you’re right. She already knows we’re planning something.”<br/> “You could always ask your brothers to create a diversion.” Draco suggested.<br/>Ron didn’t seem to fond of that idea. “That would cost us a lot, because then mum would turn on them.” But he agreed to keep it in mind in case they needed an emergency plan.<br/> <br/>Their plotting was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley’s voice drifting up from the staircase.<br/>“Ginny, I thought you’d already be in bed.”<br/>“Sorry, mum. I think I left my pygmy puff outside.”<br/> <br/>Hermione got to her feet. “That’s my clue. I asked Ginny to give me a warning when your mum comes up. See you tomorrow.” She slipped out of the door and tip-toed downstairs.<br/> <br/>“We’d better go to bed. It wouldn’t do to oversleep tomorrow.” Draco reasoned.<br/>“Yeah.” Ron agreed. “I think a brutal triple murder by the bridegroom’s mother would put a bit of a damper on the wedding.”</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry to have kept you guys waiting again. But I was faster than last time. So that's progress I guess. I hope you like the new chapter. There's at least a bit more action and I tried not to copy too much from the book. <br/>Let me know what you think? Pretty please.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The morning of the wedding was even worse than Harry had expected. They barely had time to shovel down their breakfast before Mrs. Weasley started ordering them around. She seemed to come up with a new task every five minutes. Harry had no idea if there was really so much left to do or if she was just trying to keep them from plotting their escape. At first she was only a bit teary-eyed because of Percy’s absence, but then her mood took a turn downward thanks to Sirius and Remus.<br/> <br/>The two of them hadn’t shown up to breakfast, prompting Mrs. Weasley to march out into the backyard and barge into their tent. Where she walked in on Remus with his cock down Sirius’ throat. Her angry tirade could be heard all the way up to Ron’s room, where Ron, Draco and Harry were just changing into their dress robes.<br/> <br/>All three boys winced sympathetically, though Harry doubted that Mrs. Weasley’s yelling would accomplish much. Sirius at least was completely immune to such things. Small wonder, considering how he’d grown up. If his mother had only yelled half as much as her portrait, then Harry supposed he’d learned early on to ignore it.<br/> <br/>Despite a few more mishaps the rest of the preparations went smoothly. The waiters and band arrived on time and the white marquee in the orchard was perfectly decorated. As a safety precaution Harry had taken a large dose of Polyjuice potion and turned into a red-headed Muggle boy from the nearby village. He would be introduced as Cousin Barny. There were obviously so many Weasleys that one more would be accepted without question. The only problem was that the boy was slightly fatter than Harry, which meant that his dress robes felt unpleasantly tight. And he also had to be careful what he said or how he acted, so he wouldn't give himself away.<br/> <br/>At three o’ clock in the afternoon Harry, Ron, Draco, Fred and George were sent out to the orchard to greet the guests and show them to their seats. Mrs. Weasley handed them seating plans and instructed them to be pleasant, charming and helpful. “Or feel her wrath.”, Fred added under his breath.<br/> <br/>Soon the guests started arriving, popping up seemingly out of nowhere at the distant boundary of the yard and marching up through the garden towards the marquee. They had obviously gone all out with their outfits, Harry noted with a grin. Some of the old witches and wizards looked rather ridiculous with their huge hats, strange accessories and colourful robes.<br/> <br/>Fred and George hurried towards Fleur’s pretty veela cousins immediately, leaving Harry, Ron and Draco to deal with the old ladies. Harry showed an elderly witch to her seat, nodding politely to her babbling and quickly returned outside, only to find Ron talking to an eccentric-looking wizard with long white hair. The man was wearing robes in an eye-watering shade of yellow and an odd symbol around his neck.<br/> <br/>Somehow Harry wasn’t all that surprised when he introduced himself as Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna’s father. He complimented Ron on the gnome infestation of their garden, just as Luna rushed up to them. She too was wearing bright yellow robes, just like her father and a sunflower in her hair. Once he got over the brightness, Harry actually quite liked the outfit. It sure suited her.<br/> <br/>“Hello Harry.” she greeted with a smile.<br/>“Err… how did you know…?”<br/>“Just your expression.” Luna explained, before running up to her father and holding out her hand.<br/>“Daddy, look – one of the gnomes bit me!”<br/>“How wonderful! Gnome saliva is enormously beneficial.” Mr. Lovegood claimed.<br/> <br/>Harry and Ron shared a grin as the Lovegoods entered the marquee.<br/>“Guess that explains a lot about Luna, huh?” Ron commented.<br/>“It sure does.”<br/> <br/>They had no chance to talk further, because the next group of guests arrived. Harry walked back into the marquee with two ancient looking wizards in tow and saw Draco leading Tonks and her family to their seats. When he went back outside this time he found Ron with an elderly witch clutching his arm, berating him about his long hair. Her beaky nose and feathery pink hat gave her the look of a bad tempered flamingo.<br/> <br/>“What is Xenophilius Lovegood wearing? He looks like an omelette. And who are you?” she barked at Harry.<br/> <br/>Ron introduced him as cousin Barny. The old woman, who turned out to be his infamous aunt Muriel, merely commented that the Weasleys bred like gnomes, before ordering Ron to find her a good seat. It took him a long time to meet Harry at the entrance again.<br/> <br/>“Nightmare, Muriel is.” he said.<br/>“Yeah, she seemed pretty… yeah.”<br/> <br/>They were joined by Hermione, who looked very pretty in her floaty, lilac-coloured dress and smiled at the compliment Ron paid her.<br/> <br/>“Your great aunt Muriel doesn’t agree. I just met her upstairs. She said ‘Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born? Bad posture and skinny ankles.”<br/>“Don’t take it personally. She’s rude to everyone.” Ron comforted her.<br/>“Your great-aunt?” Draco cut in, appearing next to them. “She definitely is. She called me lanky and pasty.”<br/> <br/>Hermione seemed relieved to hear it. Harry on the other hand was very affronted on behalf of his boyfriend.<br/> <br/>“You’re not lanky. You’re slender. And you have very nice skin.” he insisted.<br/>“Thanks.” Draco muttered with a surprised grin, blushing a little.<br/>“Don’t start snogging. Harry’s supposed to be incognito.” Ron said, effectively ruining the mood.<br/> <br/>None of them noticed the latecomer, until he held out his invitation to Ron and complimented Hermione. She dropped her beaded bag in shock when she recognized Viktor Krum. Much to Ron’s obvious annoyance she actually blushed and started stammering.<br/> <br/>Harry decided it would be a good idea to get Krum away from Hermione, before Ron did something stupid and offered to show him to his seat. Krum’s appearance was causing quite a stir. Heads were turning and people started muttering. A few witches eyed him speculatively. He was a famous Quidditch player after all.<br/> <br/>The Bulgarian had barely taken his seat when Draco grabbed Harry’s arm and dragged him to their own seats, since the wedding was just about to start. Hermione still looked rather pink and Ron was in a bad mood, so Harry decided to ignore him for the moment and focus on Bill and Fleur.<br/> <br/>The ceremony was rather beautiful. Harry had never been to a wedding before and was surprised how many people cried. Mrs. Weasley kept dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and Hagrid could be heard blowing his nose all the way from the back. Even Hermione was teary-eyed. Only Ron’s great-aunt Muriel found a lot of things to complain about, which she did very loudly.<br/> <br/>Once it was over, the canvas walls of the marquee vanished, the chairs grouped around small tables and a dancefloor appeared in the middle. Ron snatched a few Butterbeers from a waiter and they went in search of a table a good deal away from aunt Muriel. They found Luna sitting alone and joined her. But as soon as the band started playing, she got up, drifted towards the dance floor and started dancing by herself.<br/> <br/>Ron watched her with a grin, which quickly vanished when Krum dropped into Luna’s vacated seat. With a determined expression the red-head dragged Hermione onto the dance floor, leaving Harry and Draco alone with Krum.<br/> <br/>To Harry’s surprise the Bulgarian remembered Draco from fourth year. It turned out that they’d had a few conversations, mostly during mealtimes. Harry was once again introduced as cousin Barny and felt very out of place. He didn't want to give his true identity away, so he mostly kept his mouth shut, while his boyfriend made polite small-talk. Suddenly Krum tensed, staring at a spot somewhere behind Draco.<br/> <br/>“Who is that man in the yellow?” he demanded angrily.<br/>“Huh? That’s Xenophilius Lovegood. He’s the father of a friend of ours.” Harry explained, surprised by the sudden shift in demeanor. He looked at Draco, who only shrugged in response.<br/> <br/>“You know this man vell?”<br/>“No, we only met him today. Why?”<br/>“If he vos not a guest of Fleur’s, I would duel him right here for vearing that filthy sign.” Krum spat.<br/> <br/>Harry craned his head to look at Lovegood. He had already noticed the strange symbol around his neck earlier, but he had no idea what it meant. <br/> <br/>“Why? What’s wrong with it?” he wondered.<br/>“That is Grindelvald’s sign.”<br/>“Grindelwald… err… the dark wizard Dumbledore defeated?”<br/>“Exactly. Grindelwald killed many people. My grandfather for instance. This is his symbol. I recognized it at vunce.” Krum claimed. He looked about ready to jump up and attack Luna’s father.<br/> <br/>“Are you… err.. quite sure?” Harry asked, trying to diffuse the tense situation.<br/>“I am not mistaken!” Great, now Krum seemed pissed at him for doubting his words. “Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang when he was a pupil there. I valked past that sign for several years. I know it vell.”<br/> <br/>“Mr. Lovegood probably doesn’t even know what it is.” Draco chimed in. “He most likely thinks it means something different. They’re a bit strange, the Lovegoods.”<br/> <br/>“Strange.” Krum echoed dubiously.<br/>“Yeah, he probably thinks it’s the cross-section of a Crumple Horned Snorcack.” Harry agreed. <br/>“ A vut?”<br/>“Well, it’s … ummm.. a creature? I think it doesn’t really exist, but Luna and her father go looking for them and…”<br/> <br/>He had no idea how to explain the oddities of Luna to a stranger. And now Krum looked like he wondered if he was being made fun of. Just great. He should have stuck to his tactic of keeping silent. Thankfully Draco stepped in again.<br/> <br/>“Like I said, they’re a bit strange. They believe in all kinds of weird things. Mostly things that don’t really exist. But they’re also harmless. I’m sure Luna’s father isn’t a fan of Grindelwald or anything. He probably picked up the sign somewhere and made up some weird story for its meaning.”<br/> <br/>His words did seem to mollify Krum somewhat and he excused himself a short while later, heading off to talk to some of Fleur’s veela relatives. <br/> <br/>As evening drew in the party got wilder and wilder. The dance floor got very crowded and more than one couple snuck off into the darkness, to snog or do whatever. Harry had noticed Sirius dragging Remus away a while ago. He didn’t even want to know what they were getting up to. And he really hoped Mrs. Weasley wouldn't catch them at it again.<br/> <br/>He would have loved to drag Draco away as well. It was a nice party, but he wasn’t having fun. His dress robes felt constricting and he had a hard time keeping his identity hidden. He had to weigh his words carefully and make sure to pretend not to know some people. It was really exhausting. He couldn’t even hold Draco’s hand. And after they’d received a few curious glances, the blond also decided that they’d better separate for a bit. People might put two and two together if Draco was too friendly with the unknown Weasley cousin.<br/> <br/>Harry agreed only reluctantly. He hated the whole secrecy. Maybe it would have been better if he hadn’t come to the wedding at all. He should have just stayed behind at Fern Cottage. All of a sudden he felt reminded of the parties the Dursleys sometimes had and how he always had to stay up in his room and keep quiet. "I'll just pretend I don't exist again." he muttered sullenly.<br/> <br/>***<br/> <br/>Draco had spent some time chatting with his aunt Andromeda and her family, joined Ginny at the buffet for a snack and danced with Hermione. But the whole time his thoughts had been with Harry. His boyfriend had looked very put out when he’d suggested separating for a bit, so they wouldn’t arouse suspicion. He couldn’t help but wonder if another fight was brewing.<br/> <br/>Deciding to try and talk to Harry again, Draco went in search of him. He finally found him standing off to the side, watching the dancers with a grumpy look on his face.<br/> <br/>“Stop pouting.”<br/>“I’m not pouting.” Harry grumbled.<br/>“Yes, you are. Which would actually be pretty cute, if you weren’t a red-head at the moment.”<br/> <br/>His attempt at joking fell flat. Harry continued to stare straight ahead. But he didn’t really seem angry. He looked more … conflicted for some reason. Like something was bothering him.<br/> <br/>“What is it? Are you mad at me?” Draco asked softly.<br/>“No, I’m not.”<br/>“Because I told it would’ve looked suspicious if we stuck together the whole time.”<br/>“I know. I already said I’m not mad.”<br/>“Okay. But something’s bothering you.”<br/> <br/>Harry fidgeted a bit. “I… I had a talk with Elphias Doge.” he finally admitted. “And then Ron’s aunt Muriel showed up and kept harping about Skeeter and the book she’s written about Dumbledore.”<br/> <br/>Ah, the infamous biography the Daily Prophet kept speculating about. According to the rumours, Skeeter had unearthed some very shocking things. Draco sighed.<br/> <br/>“You know that you shouldn’t believe a word of what Skeeter writes. You know how she is.” Really, if anyone would know what a lying bitch Skeeter was, it should be Harry.<br/> <br/>“I know. But it’s not only Skeeter. Ron’s aunt said some stuff, too.”<br/>“No offence, but Ron’s aunt is a mad old hag.”<br/>“Doesn’t mean that there’s no truth in her words.”<br/>“Okay, what did she say?”<br/> <br/>“She said that there had been weird rumours about Dumbledore when he was younger. And she talked about his sister. Muriel claims she was a squib and that Dumbledore’s family locked her up because they were ashamed of her. No-one ever saw her. Until she died, a lot of people didn’t even know she existed.”<br/> <br/>Well, that explained why he was so distraught, Draco mused. It must have reminded him of the way his Muggle relatives had treated him. How they had shut him away because he was a wizard.<br/> <br/>“What did Doge say?” he asked.<br/> <br/>Harry shrugged. “He claimed that she was ill. But Muriel said they never took her to St. Mungos. And Doge idolizes Dumbledore. He told me to let nothing tarnish my memory of him. Like I could just choose to overlook everything that doesn’t add up. I just want to know the truth.”<br/> <br/>“Somehow I doubt that Muriel knows the whole truth. Or Skeeter for that matter. Maybe there’s no-one who really does. Dumbledore was a very secretive person.”<br/> <br/>“You can say that again.” Harry muttered bitterly. “Did you know that his family lived in Godric’s Hollow? The same place where my family lived? And he never told me. He never told me any of the important stuff.”<br/> <br/>Draco didn’t know what to say. He had his own doubts about their deceased headmaster. Unlike Ron and Hermione he’d never trusted him fully. Dumbledore had always been too secretive for his liking. He had always appeared to have some ultimate plan, which he wouldn’t share with anyone. He would only share bits and pieces, if he thought it necessary. Just enough to let Harry believe that he trusted him. When in reality Draco had always thought of Harry more as Dumbledore’s pawn.<br/> <br/>On the other hand Dumbledore had been one of the greatest and most powerful wizards in history. He’d been on their side. And he had worked tirelessly to bring Voldemort down. There was no doubt about that. It was only his methods that Draco often found questionable.<br/> <br/>“I’m not sure if I’m the right person for this conversation.” the blond muttered finally.<br/>“I think you are.” Harry insisted. “Ron and Hermione would never question Dumbledore. You do.”<br/>“And that’s a good thing?”<br/>“You told me to be careful, remember? Not to trust him blindly. You let me draw my own conclusions.”<br/> <br/>Draco understood what he meant. Ron and Hermione, or people like Doge for that matter, they would only tell Harry to trust Dumbledore’s judgement. They wouldn’t allow any doubts. While Draco had never fully trusted the old headmaster, he had also never done anything to undermine Harry’s trust in him.<br/> <br/>Before he could say anything else however, their conversation was abruptly interrupted. Something large and silver came falling through the canopy over the dance floor. The lynx patronus landed lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers and opened his mouth, speaking in the loud, deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.<br/> <br/>“The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.”</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A big thanks for all the lovely reviews. They really made me smile and were a great incentive to get the next chapter done. Hope you like it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>From one second to the other everything devolved into chaos. People started running around in panic. Others disapparated on the spot, proving that the protective enchantments over the Burrow had been broken. Draco could hear people screaming and saw cloaked and masked figures appear among the guests. Death Eaters. They were under attack. Already some people were pulling out their wands, casting protego and other charms to try and defend themselves or openly attacking the intruders. <br/> <br/>Harry pulled out his wand, obviously ready to throw himself into battle and Draco reacted without thinking. He drew his own wand, gripped Harry’s hand and dragged him away from the fight. A death eater stepped into their path, but Harry shot a stunning spell at him and he went down. Draco blocked a jinx coming their way, took shelter behind a tree and pulled Harry against himself.<br/> <br/>“Hold tight!”<br/> <br/>They vanished into darkness and reappeared in a quiet field seconds later. After the noise of the party and the attack, the sudden silence felt deafening. Harry looked around in panic.<br/> <br/>“Where are we? What did you do?!”<br/>“We’re a few miles away from Fern Cottage. I didn’t want to apparate too close to the wards.”<br/>“What?! No! We need to go back! We need to help!” Harry insisted immediately.<br/> <br/>“No, we don’t. They can manage without us.”<br/>“But there were Death Eaters!”<br/>“Exactly. And in case you haven’t noticed – the polyjuice is starting to wear off. Who do you think they were after?”<br/>“But…. the others. Hermione and Ron… Sirius … and the Weasleys…”<br/> <br/>Draco gripped Harry’s arms, forcing the Gryffindor to look at him. “They’ll be okay. The Weasleys are very capable of defending themselves. And I also don’t think they have much to fear if it turns out that you’re not there. As for Ron and Hermione … they’ll know what to do. Remember what Mione said last night? She packed their stuff into her bag, in case we had to take off at a moment’s notice. They’re going to meet us at the cottage.”<br/> <br/>Harry took a deep breath, calming down a little. “Okay. And Sirius and Remus are going to head back there as well, right?” he checked.<br/> <br/>“Of course they are. I had a talk with Remus two days ago. He told me that if anything were to happen at the wedding, I should grab you and take you back to Fern Cottage immediately.” Draco admitted. “It’s you they’re after. He knew that my first priority would be to get you out of there safely.”<br/> <br/>Harry grumbled about the fact that no-one had felt the need to tell him of any emergency plan, but at least he stopped his panicked struggling. Draco only let go of him once he was sure that the Gryffindor wouldn't apparate back to the Burrow.<br/> <br/>They walked the few miles to Fern Cottage in silence and Draco breathed a sigh of relief when they passed the protective wards. They were the first to arrive, which of course did nothing to lessen Harry’s worry. He refused to wait inside, so they stopped just inside the garden and looked out into the surrounding fields, even though they couldn’t see much in the darkness.<br/> <br/>Both of them startled when they finally spied two figures approaching. Draco tensed and held his wand ready, but as the two came closer he recognized Ron’s lanky frame. So did Harry, because he muttered “Thank Merlin!” and ran to meet them at the edge of the protective wards. Draco followed more slowly.<br/> <br/>“Harry! I’m so glad you got away!” Hermione shouted as soon as she saw him, pulling him into a hug, before turning to throw her arms around Draco. “We looked for you, but it was too chaotic. We couldn’t see you anywhere. So we apparated away.”<br/> <br/>“It’s okay. Draco brought us here as soon as we’d seen the Death Eaters.” Harry assured. “But what took you so long? You didn’t stay back to look for us until now, did you?”<br/>“Nah, don’t worry, mate.” Ron chimed in. “Hermione wanted to, but I reminded her that we were supposed to meet here. We just detoured a little.”<br/> <br/>“I panicked a bit.” Hermione said sheepishly. “Instead of apparating us here like planned, I took us to Tottenham Court Road. It was the first thing I could think of. And then we had to find a quiet place to disapparate again, since there were a few Muggles around.”<br/> <br/>“Well, at least you’re here now…” Harry started to say.<br/> <br/>The rest of his words was drowned out by a crack and Sirius and Remus appeared just at the edge of the protective wards.<br/> <br/>“Everyone here? Everyone safe?” Remus checked.<br/>“We’re all fine.” Harry answered, before asking what had taken the two man this long.<br/>“We had to dodge a few Death Eaters.” Sirius said with a shrug.<br/>“Your godfather felt it necessary to get in a few hexes.” Remus explained testily.<br/>“Bellatrix was there. Couldn’t waste an opportunity like that, could I?”<br/> <br/>The werewolf didn’t reply. Instead he ushered them into the house and made sure to get Ron and Hermione settled in the guest rooms he had prepared a few days earlier. Everyone had just met back in the living room, where Remus handed out steaming mugs of tea, when a silvery weasel glided in through the window.<br/>“Family safe. Do not try to make contact. We’re being watched.” the patronus reported in Mr. Weasley’s voice.<br/> <br/>Ron let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whimper. Hermione wrapped her arms around him, muttering “They’re all right.” over and over. The others visibly relaxed as well.<br/> <br/>Draco sipped his tea, wondering what was going to happen next. They had escaped danger for now, but with the Ministry in Voldemort’s hands their task had just become even more difficult. Hiding from the Death Eaters would be even harder now and they most likely wouldn’t be able to get in touch with the rest of the Order. As if their mission hadn't seemed impossible enough already.<br/> <br/>Remus ushered them to bed as soon as their mugs were empty, but it was a rough night. Draco and Harry had only just reached their bedroom when Harry's knees buckled. He let out a moan and clutched his head. Draco caught him and dragged him to the bed, watching helplessly as the younger boy was assaulted by a vision of Voldemort.<br/> <br/>“He’s… he’s angry.” he panted, once the wave had passed. “Because they didn’t catch me. He … forced Nott to .. to torture a death eater.” He looked like he was going to be sick.<br/> “Do you want me to fetch Sirius? Or Remus?” Draco asked.<br/>“No. Don’t bother them. I can always tell them tomorrow.”<br/>“Are you sure?”<br/>“Yes, I’m sure. I’m okay now. Let’s just go to bed.” Harry insisted.<br/> <br/>So they changed into their pyjamas and got into bed, but sleep was a long time coming. And then Draco woke twice during the night, because Harry was moaning and thrashing around in his sleep, obviously having nightmares.<br/> <br/>***<br/> <br/>They got up early the next day, only to find Remus and Hermione already in the kitchen. Sirius joined them minutes later, so Hermione went upstairs to fetch Ron. They ate their breakfast in silence, all of them still lingering on the events of last night.<br/> <br/>After the dishes had been cleared away, Harry reluctantly and with some prodding from Draco told the others about his vision. Hermione immediately rounded on him.<br/> “You’re supposed to practice Occlumency!” she reminded.<br/>“I try to. But I’m still crap at it and it doesn’t always work.”<br/>“Try harder then!”<br/>“I already said I’m trying! Do you think I want him in my head?!” Harry snapped. “Do you think it’s fun to see him torturing people?!”<br/>“Hey, calm down. Both of you.” Remus cut in. “We know you’re trying, Harry and….”<br/> <br/>He was interrupted mid-sentence by a loud crack. Everyone jumped to their feet, reaching for their wands. But it was only Kreacher, who had apparated into the kitchen and now bowed to Harry.<br/> <br/>“Kreacher has caught the thief Mundungus Fletcher, master Harry. He is waiting at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher apologizes for the delay.”<br/> <br/>For a moment no-one spoke. They all just stared at the elf, taken by surprise at his sudden appearance. Draco wondered absently why Kreacher was carrying a heavy looking saucepan, but then decided that he didn’t really want to know.<br/> <br/>“That’s great, Kreacher! You’ve done really well.” Harry finally said, once he'd found his voice again. “Let’s head over to Grimmauld Place.”<br/>“Harry…” Hermione said warningly.<br/>“What now?” he snapped.<br/>“Do you think it’s safe?” She looked from Harry to Remus, who shrugged in response.<br/> <br/>“I suppose it is a risk we’ll have to take.” the werewolf mused.<br/>“Kreacher, has anyone tried to enter Grimmauld Place since we left?” Harry asked.<br/>“No, master Harry. There is no-one in the house but the thief.” the elf answered.<br/>“Good enough for me. Let’s go.” Sirius urged.<br/> <br/>Remus gave a long-suffering sigh. “Okay. We’ll apparate into the entrance hall, just like last time. Stick together in pairs. Harry with Draco and Ron with Hermione. And keep your wands ready, just in case. Alright?”<br/> <br/>They all agreed. Harry even allowed Draco to side-along him. Once they had reached the entrance hall, gotten past the protections (with Ron complaining that no-one had warned him and Draco snickering quietly at this) and made sure that there really was no-one there but Fletcher, Kreacher led the way to the kitchen.<br/> <br/>Mundungus was sitting on the kitchen floor, bound by a thick rope. He looked pretty banged up. A trickle of blood was running down his forehead and he had quite a few scratches. As soon as he saw them he started struggling against his bonds.<br/> <br/>“Wha’ve I done? Setting a bleedin’ ‘ouse elf on me? Wha’ve I done? Lemme go!”<br/>“Kreacher had to bind the thief to keep him from leaving.” the elf explained.<br/>“That’s fine, Kreacher.” Harry assured, turning to look at Sirius. “Should we untie him?”<br/> Sirius shrugged. “Might as well. He’s not going to be dumb enough to try to escape.” He trained his wand on Mundungus and the rope fell away.<br/> <br/>“Why the ‘ell am I being hunted down by ‘ouse elves?” Fletcher complained. “Sirius, mate. Wha’ve I done, huh?”<br/> “Shut up, Dung. I’m asking the questions here.” Sirius growled. <br/> <br/>Draco noticed that he hadn’t lowered his wand. He was still pointing it right at Fletcher, who cowered before him. Draco couldn’t fault him. Sirius looked bloody intimidating.<br/> <br/>“When you cleaned this house of anything valuable…”<br/>“Wha’ you on about? You never cared about any of that chunk…” Mundungus whined.<br/> <br/>There was a flash of copper and a loud clang. Kreacher had sprinted up and hit him over the head with the saucepan he was still carrying. Draco suspected it wasn’t the first time either. <br/> <br/>“Call ‘im off! Call ‘im off!” Fletcher screeched, trying to shield his head with his arms.<br/>Kreacher lifted the pan for another hit.<br/>“Kreacher, no!” Harry ordered.<br/> The old elf looked at him, the saucepan still raised above his head.<br/>“Perhaps just one more, master Harry, for luck?” he asked.<br/> <br/>Draco couldn’t suppress a snort. Ron and Harry snickered, while Remus was struggling to keep a straight face. Even Sirius let out a surprised chuckle. The change in owner had obviously been good for Kreacher. Only Hermione frowned disapprovingly.<br/> <br/>“We need him conscious, Kreacher.” Harry explained. “But if he needs persuading you can do the honours.”<br/>“Thank you very much, master.”<br/> <br/>“Hear that? Guess you’d better cooperate, Dung.” Sirius warned with a grim smile, continuing his questioning. “You took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. There was a locket. What did you do with it?”<br/> <br/>“Why? Is it valuable?” Mundungus asked.<br/>“You’ve still got it!” Hermione shouted.<br/>“No, he hasn’t.” Ron said with a shrewd look.<br/>“I guess he’s wondering whether he should have asked more money for it.” Draco agreed.<br/> “More? That wouldn’t have been effing difficult … Bleedin’ gave it away, di’n I? No choice.” Mundungus complained.<br/> “What do you mean?” Sirius wanted to know.<br/> <br/>“I was selling in Diagon Alley an’ she come up to me an’ asks if I’ve got a licence for trading. Bleedin’ snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an’ told me she’d take it and let me off that time.”<br/> “Who was that woman?”<br/> “I dunno, some Ministry hag.” Fletcher said with a shrug. “Little woman. Bow on top of ‘er head… Looked like a toad.”<br/> <br/>Harry gasped, Ron groaned and Draco shared a knowing look with Hermione. Of all the possibilities…<br/> <br/>“You know who he’s talking about?” Sirius asked.<br/>Harry nodded slowly, unconsciously clenching his fist. “Umbridge.” he spat.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the lovely reviews. They really made me smile. <br/>Hope you like the new chapter. I tried not to use too much from the book, but I'm not sure if I managed it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The fact that they now knew who had the locket was only a tiny progress. The stint at Hogwarts had done nothing to hurt Umbridge’s career. Quite the contrary. She had actually risen in favour it seemed. And as a high ranking Ministry official she was way out of their reach. They had no idea where she lived and also no way to find out. Which left them with only one option. They had to catch her at work. And that meant entering the Ministry itself.</p>
<p>The decision was made quickly enough. But while Sirius was all for rushing in headfirst, the others agreed that they needed a plan if they wanted to have any chance of making it out again. So over the course of the next few weeks Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione took turns lurking outside the official Ministry entrance under the invisibility cloak, to try and gather as much information as they could. Meanwhile Sirius and Remus tried to get in touch with various members of the Order. This proved quite difficult, since all of them were being closely watched, but the two men obviously had their ways.</p>
<p>Draco had no idea how they managed it, but they returned to Fern Cottage with news more than once. Through Bill they learned that most of the wedding guests had gotten away. Death Eaters had searched the Burrow for Harry and interrogated the remaining people endlessly, but at least no-one had been injured. Thanks to the disguise only a small handful of people had known that Harry had been at the wedding and they’d all kept their mouths shut. The Death Eaters had also found the transfigured ghoul, who was posing as Ron with Spattergroit. Bill hadn’t been completely sure, but he thought they had fallen for the trick.<br/>Kingsley reported that other Death Eaters had forced their way into every house that was somehow connected to the Order. A few people had been tortured, but nothing too bad. A handful of Death Eaters were also on stake-out in front of Grimmauld Place, but so far Mad-Eye’s protections held and they couldn’t get into the house. Just to be safe, Harry called for Kreacher and ordered him to flee and hide at Hogwarts should any strangers enter Grimmauld Place.</p>
<p>Luckily Sirius and Remus had chosen their new hiding place well. Fern Cottage was technically a Muggle house. Diggle’s great-aunt Dorothea had bought it secretly from a Muggle family and passed it on to her nephew unofficially. As far as the Ministry was concerned, Dorothea Diggle had never owned a cottage and neither did Dedalus.<br/>Voldemort still wasn’t showing himself openly, which only fuelled the fear, uncertainty and suspicion among the wizarding public. The Ministry was now firmly in his hands. Minister Scrimgeour had been tortured and killed and replaced with a man named Pius Thicknesse, who was supposedly under the Imperius curse. Harry was a wanted man. The Ministry claimed to be looking for him to question him about the death of Dumbledore. Also new was the Muggle-born Register. All Muggle-borns were forced to come to the Ministry and prove that they had wizarding ancestors. Otherwise they were accused of having obtained their powers by theft or force.</p>
<p>Kingsley also warned them to stop saying Voldemort's name. The Death Eaters had put a taboo on the name, which meant that they were able to track down anyone who used it. The kids started calling him you-know-who again, while Sirius stuck to more creative names like old snakeface or Voldy-pants.</p>
<p>Life at Fern Cottage was strange. They heard all these awful news or read the articles whenever one of them managed to get their hands on a copy of the Daily Prophet, which was now under Voldemort’s control as well. But somehow none of it seemed to touch them directly. The cottage felt like a safe bubble, far away from the real world and its many dangers. On the other hand not everyone dealt well with being cooped up in the old house and tempers flared more often than not.</p>
<p>Harry was sticking to his promise. At least for now. He hadn’t lashed out at Draco since their fight shortly before his birthday. There were a few tense moments, but those were easily averted with some heated snogging. Unfortunately he now often took his temper out on Hermione, who continued to nag him to practice Occlumency, despite the fact that he hadn’t had another vision of Voldemort since the night of the wedding.</p>
<p>Ron started playing with the Deluminator whenever he was bored, which was pretty much all the time. The constant noise and lights flickering on and off was grating on Draco’s nerves and led to quite a few heated arguments between the two. Hermione could usually be found in the living room, surrounded by various books. When she wasn’t busy nagging one of them, fighting with Harry or manically making plans, she was quiet and withdrawn.</p>
<p>Sirius clearly itched to do something. He kept telling them that the plan was good enough and urging them to just put it into action already. Harry unfortunately agreed with him. Thankfully Remus kept a level head and insisted that they needed more time to prepare. He was also doing a pretty good job of keeping his boyfriend in line. Draco only wished his methods wouldn’t involve things like blowjobs in the kitchen. It really wasn’t funny anymore how often he’d walked in on the two men. And while he wasn't as much of a prude as Ron, who turned the most interesting shades of red whenever he caught them in the act, Draco still had no desire to see that much of his cousin, thank you very much.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***<br/> <br/>Of course even Remus couldn’t hold Sirius off forever. Not when it meant practically being locked up again. And especially not when Harry started to side with him.</p>
<p>“We should do it tomorrow.” Sirius decided out of the blue one day after dinner.<br/>Remus sighed tiredly. “Padfoot…”<br/>“No, Moony. No more stalling. We’re as well prepared as we’re going to be.”<br/>“We really aren’t.”<br/>“Yes, we are. We know how to get in, we know that her office is on the first floor, we’ve got enough polyjuice and robes for all of us…”<br/>“Sirius is right.” Harry chimed in.</p>
<p>Now it was Draco’s turn to sigh, but he wisely refrained from commenting. He already knew that it would do no good. Harry had that stubborn glint in his eyes that told him that his mind was made up. Saying something would only provoke an unnecessary fight. And he just didn't have the energy for an argument which he was bound to lose anyways.</p>
<p>Of course Hermione voiced her doubts. As did Remus. But Harry and Sirius wouldn’t be deterred. In Draco’s opinion there were still way too many things that could go wrong. Way too much that relied on chance. But he was slowly learning to pick his battles, so he kept quiet. And unfortunately he had to agree that there were things they wouldn't be able to plan for, no matter how long they'd wait. After a lengthy discussion Sirius and Harry finally got their way. Everyone agreed to infiltrate the Ministry the next day.</p>
<p>This decision however led to the next round of discussion, because Remus felt that it would be unwise for all six of them to go.<br/>"The more we are, the harder it's going to be to get in and out unnoticed." he reasoned. "We would need to take out six people and it's going to be really difficult to stay together without looking suspicious."</p>
<p>Ron quickly agreed with him. "I think Hermione should stay back."<br/>"Ronald, we've been over this! I'm not staying here." she insisted.<br/>"But you're on their list of Muggle-borns who didn't show up for interrogation. It's too dangerous for you."<br/>"And you're supposed to be dying of Spattergroit!" she reminded. "If anyone should stay back it's Harry."<br/>"I'm coming along!" Harry raged.</p>
<p>It went on like this for another couple of minutes. Again Draco kept mostly quiet. He actually wouldn't have minded staying at Fern Cottage, but not if it meant Harry going without him. He wanted to be there to have his boyfriend's back. He suspected that Remus had much the same motive. He only wanted to go along so he could keep an eye on Sirius. Whatever their respective reasons, no-one wanted to be left behind, so in the end they agreed that all of them would go.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>After a restless night with way too little sleep everyone met in the kitchen early next morning. Remus insisted on feeding them breakfast, while Hermione went over the plan for what felt like the thousandth time. Once she was sure that they had everything they might need, they set off. Remus went first, apparating into an alley close to the Ministry entrance under Harry's invisibility cloak. The others waited 30 seconds. When he didn't reappear, they followed one by one.</p>
<p>Once the group was complete they hid in an abandoned theatre and waited for the first Ministry employees to show up. Only minutes later a small witch named Mafalda Hopkirk, assistant in the Improper Use of Magic Office, rounded the corner. Sirius stunned her and dragged her into the empty theatre, taking off her ID and the tokens now needed to enter the Ministry and ripping out a few of her hairs, so Hermione could polyjuice into her.</p>
<p>Next was Reg Cattermole, a lanky guy from Magical Maintenance. Hermione, posing as Mafalda, slipped him a puking pastille and convinced him to go to St. Mungo's, which he did only reluctantly. He had only just disapparated when his colleague Bernie Pillsworth appeared. He was slipped another puking pastille and sent off to St. Mungo's as well, in the hope that the healers would think it was a bug going around at the department.</p>
<p>Ron polyjuiced into Reg, while Remus took on the identity of Bernie Pillsworth, a tall man with greying hair and a large moustache. Together with Hermione they set off to take out three more Ministry workers, returning after a few minutes with their hairs. Hermione had managed to send a tall, scowling man home with a bad nosebleed. Harry took his identity, though they unfortunately had no idea who he was. Sirius suspected he might be a death eater.</p>
<p>The animagus himself polyjuiced into Ewan Rockworth, one of the higher ranking aurors. Which was a lucky coincidence, since he knew a bit about the burly, bald man thanks to Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks. Draco ended up as a dark-skinned junior auror named Pratchett. The two real aurors had been stunned and joined the unconscious Mafalda in the empty theatre.</p>
<p>With their transformations complete they set off towards the Ministry. Since Voldemort had taken over, most employees weren't allowed to take the floo to work any longer. They now had to enter through a public toilet, using special tokens. Draco blanched when he realized that they had to clamber into the toilet and literally flush themselves in. He suspected that humiliating people like this gave Voldemort some sort of kick. Gritting his teeth he did what he had to do, emerging from one of the fireplaces in the Atrium seconds later.</p>
<p>The Death Eaters had obviously redecorated. The new stance of the Ministry became clear with just one look. Gone was the golden fountain, replaced by a huge, dark statue of a couple of handsome wizards sitting on hundreds of enslaved Muggles. They all stared in shock for a moment, but Remus quickly urged them to move so they wouldn't attract attention.</p>
<p>Getting into the Ministry had been surprisingly easy. But as soon as they entered the lift, things went downhill. It started with Yaxley rounding on Ron, because it was raining in his office. They found out that Cattermole's wife was in for questioning about her blood status that day, which explained why the real Reginald Cattermole had been so reluctant to leave even when he'd been throwing up all over the place. They couldn't jeopardize the future of his poor wife, so Ron had no choice but to try and fix his office. Remus went with him to help.</p>
<p>The remaining four reached the first floor, only to come face to face not only with Thicknesse, the new Minister for Magic, but also Umbridge herself, who promptly demanded that Hermione/Mafalda accompany her down to the courtrooms for record-keeping. As the two disappeared from sight, Thicknesse turned to Harry.</p>
<p>"Runcorn, what brings you up here?" he asked pleasantly.<br/>"Err... I was just looking for... Cattermole." Harry lied. "Someone said he should be up here."<br/>"Ah, well. Good luck with that then." the Minister said.</p>
<p>Before he could question the other two, Sirius barked at Draco to hurry up and strode past him. The Minister obviously found nothing unusual about that, because he went down the corridor without another word. Harry and Draco followed after Sirius.</p>
<p>"What do we do now?" Draco hissed.<br/>"Let's take a look at her office, since we're already here. Maybe she stashed it there." Sirius suggested.<br/>"And if she hasn't?"<br/>"Then she’s probably wearing it and we'll have to go down to the courtrooms."</p>
<p>They had no better plan, so the three of them started searching for Umbridge's office. They found it easily enough, but there were about a dozen witches and wizards sitting on little tables in front of it, busy making pamphlets. There was no way to slip past them unnoticed.</p>
<p>"Okay, here's the plan..." Sirius whispered, beckoning the two boys closer. Draco didn't like the wicked glint in his eyes. His cousin had way too much fun with this. "We set off one of those decoy detonators. That should distract them for a while. Harry, you put on the invisibility cloak and slip into her office. Draco and I sweep onto the scene to investigate the noise. That'll buy you enough time for a quick search."</p>
<p>As plans went, it wasn't the worst. And they actually pulled it off without a hitch. Amidst the chaos the decoy detonator had created, no-one noticed Harry entering Umbridge's office. Sirius waited a couple of seconds, before making his grand entrance. He bellowed orders at Draco and started interrogating the confused people.</p>
<p>"Thought you'd have a bit of fun, huh? Scare your colleagues? Which of you was it, huh?" he barked, glaring at all of them in turn.<br/>They all insisted that they were innocent, readily recounting the incident.<br/>"We were just sitting here, doing our work."<br/>"Yes, none of us left their place."<br/>"Why should we sabotage our own work?"<br/>"I've never seen that thing before. I swear!"<br/>"Me either."</p>
<p>"Came out of nowhere, did it?" Sirius barked. He seemed to be having a blast.<br/>"Maybe it snuck down from Experimental Charms." one witch suggested. "Remember that poisonous duck?"<br/>"Trying to pin the blame on someone else now, are you?"</p>
<p>The interrogation was suddenly interrupted by Thicknesse, who luckily paid them no mind. He was too busy heading straight for Umbridge's office. Draco held his breath, but he needn't have worried. The Minister came back out only a minute later, obviously without having noticed Harry. This time he stopped to throw the assembled crowd a confused look.</p>
<p>"Just a little accident." Sirius assured. "Don't worry, Minister. We've got it under control."</p>
<p>Thicknesse nodded and went on his way. Out of the corner of his eye Draco saw the door to Umbridge's office open and close, signalling that Harry had left it.</p>
<p>"Sir, maybe we should head up to Experimental Charms and check it out. That thing could really have escaped from there. I believe we had a similar incident last week." he claimed, hoping Sirius would get the message.<br/>He did. "Alright, then. Let's do that. Take the evidence along."</p>
<p>Draco collected the still faintly smoking decoy detonator and they headed back towards the lifts, where they met Harry.</p>
<p>"Did you find it?" Sirius asked.<br/>"No, it wasn't there. I only found a bunch of files. They're watching the Weasleys and everyone else related to the Order."<br/>"Yeah, we already knew that. Okay, let's head down to the courtrooms. She's most likely wearing it."</p>
<p>They got into the next lift, where they, by some stroke of luck, ran into Ron and Remus. Both of them were completely soaked and reported that it was still raining in Yaxley's office. Before they could form a new plan however, the lift doors opened again and Mr. Weasley got in. He unknowingly had a pleasant conversation with his son and even suggested a spell to stop the rain. Ron looked about ready to bolt out of the lift and try it, but Remus stopped him.</p>
<p>"We tried that already, remember? And you're needed down at your wife's trial, Reg."<br/>"Oh... yes... right."<br/>"Well, good luck, Reg." Mr. Weasley said, sending a nasty glare in Harry's direction, before getting out at the next level.</p>
<p>The other five continued their way down. Even before they reached the hallway that led to the courtroom they felt the unnatural chill that permeated the air.<br/>"Dementors." Remus breathed.</p>
<p>And indeed, as soon as they rounded the corner they could see them, guarding the poor Muggle-borns that sat huddled together on stone benches. Some were alone, others accompanied by their families. A woman looked up and gasped when she saw Ron.</p>
<p>"Reg! Reg, where have you been?" she sobbed, throwing herself into his arms. Ron patted her back awkwardly, looking around for help. Draco realized that she must be Cattermole's wife.</p>
<p>Just then the door to the courtroom opened. Two Dementors dragged a sobbing man away and they heard Umbridge calling for Mary Cattermole. Sirius reacted immediately. He grabbed the poor woman, hissed at Draco to follow him and dragged her into the room. Thanks to the death grip she had on Ron's hand, he was dragged along as well. Draco had no choice but to go along with whatever mad plan his cousin had cocked up now.</p>
<p>They entered the courtroom and Draco saw a pale-faced Hermione sitting on the high raised platform between Umbridge and Yaxley. There were Dementors in here, too, hidden in the corners. Umbridge's Patronus patrolled along the foot of the platform, protecting her and the other prosecutors. She leaned forward with a frown, obviously wondering what the two aurors were doing here and Draco saw something golden swinging around her neck. And then everything happened extremely fast.</p>
<p>Sirius pulled out his wand and stunned Umbridge. Yaxley jumped up in alarm, but he was too late and received a stunner as well. The Patronus vanished, which prompted the Dementors to attack.</p>
<p>"Hermione, get the Horcrux! Patronuses, come on, boys!" Sirius shouted. "Expecto Patronum!" He laughed gleefully as his dog Patronus bounded around the room, scattering the Dementors.</p>
<p>Draco managed to produce his falcon Patronus on the third try. Ron seemed too out of it to even attempt the spell. Or maybe he simply couldn't move, since Mrs. Cattermole was still clinging to him. At least Hermione had enough presence of mind to rip the locket off Umbridge and rush down to them.</p>
<p>Sirius, still laughing rather maniacally, led the way back to the hallway, where his Patronus chased away the next group of Dementors.<br/>"Follow me, everyone!" he shouted to the shocked Muggle-borns. "Go home, pack your families and run!"</p>
<p>Draco saw Remus shaking his head in dismay, but had no chance to worry about that now. They needed to get out of here. The spectacle Sirius was making was sure to draw attention very quickly. And if they were caught... he didn't even want to imagine it. Harry, ever the stupid Gryffindor, quickly followed his godfather's lead. He conjured his own Patronus and yelled.</p>
<p>"It’s been decided that you should all go home and go into hiding with your families. Go abroad if you can. Just get well away from the Ministry. That’s the - errr - new official position. Now, if you’ll just follow the Patronuses, you’ll be able to leave from the Atrium!"</p>
<p>The confused Muggle-borns followed them willingly as they quickly made their way back up towards the exit. They made it to the Atrium unhindered, but once they stepped out of the lifts, all hell broke loose. Someone had obviously raised the alarm. Whether it had been Umbridge, Yaxley or one of the people they'd left unconscious in the old theatre they had no way of knowing. Fact was that a couple of people were already sealing off the fireplaces - their only means of escape.</p>
<p>Harry sprinted towards them, calling out in Runcorn's booming voice to stop. To Draco's surprise they actually did. Harry told them that the Muggle-borns had to leave first and for a moment it looked like they might actually be getting away with it.<br/>But then the real Reg Cattermole showed up, seconds before Yaxley arrived on the scene. Harry punched the guy trying to seal off the fireplace and Sirius started firing curses. There was a lot of shouting, screaming and spells flying around. Draco had no idea how they did it, but somehow they all managed to make it into the fireplace, emerging back in the public toilet, with Yaxley hot on their heels. Someone grabbed Draco's arm, he saw Sirius wrestling with Yaxley and then they vanished into crushing darkness.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A big thank you for all the lovely reviews. I think - or I hope at least - that I'm finally getting really into this story, which makes the writing a bit easier. I've also got most of it planned out now. Of course I can't promise more regular updates from now on, but I'll do my best. <br/>Of course comments are always a great motivation...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry landed hard on the ground. The force of the impact knocked the breath from his lungs and he saw stars for a moment. He heard a scuffling sound nearby and then the crack of apparition, which made him sit up and look around wildly. They were in a field of wildflowers. Next to him Draco was struggling to his feet. The polyjuice had started wearing off and he was halfway back to himself. A groan drew Harry's attention to Ron and he gasped in shock.</p><p>The red-head was lying on his back, with a pained grimace on his face. A dark patch of blood was quickly spreading from his shoulder. Remus was kneeling next to him, talking in a soft, soothing tone, while Hermione frantically searched through her bag. </p><p>"I can't find ... oh, Merlin's pants! ... Accio dittany!" she cried and a small bottle flew out of the bag into her hand.</p><p>She passed it to Remus, who had removed Ron's robes, revealing an ugly, deep wound. It looked like a chunk of flesh had been torn out of his shoulder. Harry felt faint at the sight. Remus waved his wand over the wound, muttering an incantation under his breath and the skin started knitting shut. Next he took the small bottle from Hermione and poured three drops of the liquid onto the wound. Greenish smoke rose up and Harry gasped in shock. Once the smoke had cleared the wound looked days, maybe even weeks old.</p><p>"What happened?" Harry wanted to know. "Did he get hit by a curse?"<br/>"No, he got splinched. I tried to get us out as quickly as possible, but apparating this many people under a lot of stress... I didn't manage it well enough." Remus explained, giving the red-head an apologetic look.</p><p>"Where's Sirius?" Draco asked suddenly and only then did Harry notice that his godfather was missing. He'd been too focused on Ron's injury to look around further.<br/>"Yaxley grabbed him just as I apparated us out, which means that he got taken along." Remus said with a grimace. "As soon as we landed here, Sirius apparated them away." Which explained the scuffling sound and the crack earlier.<br/>An icy fist seemed to grab Harry's heart. Where had Sirius taken Yaxley? What if he got hurt? What if he needed help? How were they supposed to find him? Shakily he got to his feet, ready to start searching, although he had no idea where.</p><p>Before he could even take one step, there was another crack and Sirius reappeared in the field. His hair was tousled, his clothes askew and he had a split lip, but no other obvious injuries. And he was grinning. Harry rushed over and hugged him.</p><p>"I'm glad to see you too, prongslet." Sirius said bemusedly, returning the fierce hug for a moment.<br/>"I thought..." Harry mumbled thickly, unable to put into words just what he'd been thinking. He didn't need to.<br/>"Don't worry. You won't get rid of me that easily."</p><p>"Where's Yaxley?" Remus cut in.<br/>"I obliviated him and left him on a country road somewhere in Devon. Don't worry, he won't find his way back here."<br/>"Good. We'd better get going then. I'd say it's at least a ten minute walk to the Cottage. But I didn't want to take us closer while there was a chance we were being followed."<br/>"We could always apparate closer now." Sirius suggested, but the werewolf shook his head.<br/>"Ron got splinched. I managed to heal him, but he lost a lot of blood. I don't want to put him through another apparition for at least a couple of days."</p><p>Ron still looked ghostly pale. He sat up with obvious effort, but sweat broke out on his skin and he started trembling immediately. Remus gently pushed him back down.</p><p>"Don't even try to get up." he warned. "Like I said, you’ve lost a lot of blood. I'm going to levitate you back to the Cottage and put you to bed. You'll be fine in a couple of days, but only if you rest."</p><p>It was a testament to how bad Ron obviously felt that he didn't protest. They slowly made their way towards Fern Cottage, with Remus walking in front, levitating Ron and Sirius bringing up the rear. Harry kept glancing around nervously, straining his ears for any suspicious sound. But all was quiet.</p><p>He still sighed in relief when they finally passed the protective wards and entered the Cottage. Remus took Ron upstairs and settled him into bed. He complained a little about being left out of whatever discussion they were sure to have, but settled down once Hermione promised to keep him company.</p><p>The others sat down in the living room. Now that the danger was over, Harry felt drained, but also strangely elated. They had successfully broken into the Ministry! And they had gotten the Horcrux! Sirius seemed to share his thoughts.</p><p>"We were pretty good, huh?" he asked with a grin.<br/>"We were." Harry agreed, grinning back.<br/>"Oh, yes. Aside from the part where the plan went to shit right after entering the Ministry and we almost got caught." Draco snarked.<br/>"Ah, don't be such a bore. It was fun, wasn't it?" Sirius claimed.<br/>The blond looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "You have a very strange idea of fun."</p><p>"Just ignore him." Remus advised, entering the room. "Sirius has always been a bit ... different."<br/>"I'm merely adventurous."<br/>"Of course you are, love."<br/>"That's the reason I'm so much fun to be around."<br/>"Indeed. ... So... we got the Horcrux." the werewolf changed the subject.<br/> “Are we sure it is a Horcrux?” Draco wondered.<br/>“That’s easy to find out. There was a spell in one of the books I went through.” Remus let them know.</p><p>Hermione had dumped the locket on the table before joining Ron upstairs. Remus waved is wand over it and mumbled an incantation. Harry shivered. He didn’t understand the words, but they sounded menacing somehow. As they watched a greenish glow surrounded the locket. It lasted only a few seconds, before vanishing again.<br/> <br/>“Definitely a Horcrux.” Remus confirmed.<br/>“Good.” Sirius quipped.<br/> <br/>He picked it up, turning it over in his hands and trying unsuccessfully to open it. After a while he gave up and passed it on to Harry, who couldn't get it open either.</p><p>"Now that we've got it, what are we going to do with it?" he wondered.<br/>"We need to find a way to destroy it." Remus stated the obvious.<br/>"But how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Draco asked. "We don't have the sword of Gryffindor."<br/>"Great. So we've got the Horcrux, but no means to destroy it." Harry grumbled, still clutching the locket in his fist.<br/>"At least we've come one step further." Remus reminded. “And I’ve brought all the books from Grimmauld Place that might have any mention on Horcruxes. So far I haven’t found anything useful on how to destroy it, but I’ve still got a few more to go through. Bill also sent two books I haven't even looked at yet. There’s got to be a way.” he said hopefully.<br/> <br/>But the thought did little to comfort Harry. He hadn't even realized how difficult their task was going to be. Yes, they had the Horcrux, but what good did that do if they couldn't destroy the damn thing? And they still had to find the next one and kill the snake. And when they had somehow managed that, there was Voldemort himself. It all looked rather hopeless.</p><p>"I'm making dinner." Sirius announced suddenly.<br/>"Good idea. We should all eat something and get some sleep." Remus agreed. "Everything else can wait until tomorrow."</p><p>Harry wasn't happy about it, but he didn't protest either. For now there was nothing they could do. He knew that. With a sigh he slipped the locket around his neck.</p><p>"What do you think you're doing?" Draco asked sharply.<br/>"Keeping it safe. We can't leave it lying around." Harry reasoned.<br/>"That doesn't mean you have to wear it."<br/>"Well, what would you suggest?"<br/>"Let's put it somewhere safe. Hide it."<br/>"I'm not taking the risk of losing it."</p><p>"I don't like saying this, but Harry is right." Remus said with a sigh. "The risk of the Horcrux getting lost is too high."<br/>"But... don't you think it's dangerous to wear it? What if he gets possessed, like Ginny did with the diary?"<br/>"Ginny wrote in the diary. We can't even get the damn locket open." Harry pointed out.<br/>"And that makes it less dangerous?"</p><p>"Draco does have a point." Remus cut in again before they could start a fight. "Judging by what I've read so far I'd say it's pretty unlikely that the locket can possess you when you simply wear it. But that doesn't mean it won't affect you at all. This is extremely dark magic we're dealing with. As I said, I haven't managed to work my way through all the texts yet and my knowledge is sketchy at best. We'd better be very cautious."</p><p>"What's your plan then?" <br/>"Let's take turns. Make sure no-one wears it longer than four or five hours at a time and be sure to take it off before you go to bed. You're more vulnerable in sleep and so more likely to be affected."</p><p>They all agreed to this. Since Sirius and Remus didn't only want to trust in the wards they also decided that at least one of them should be awake at all times. Just as a safety precaution. <br/>***<br/> <br/>It soon became apparent that Remus was right. While the Horcrux could obviously not directly possess its wearer, it still affected them. They spent the next couple of days passing it around and Draco could soon tell who was wearing it without having to look. The damn locket seemed to amplify every negative emotion. Harry would slink off to a corner, acting all sullen and moody and refusing to talk. Remus was likely to snap at anyone who came too close. Hermione became quiet and withdrawn, hiding behind her books and making endless lists she wouldn’t show anyone, while Sirius paced through the house non-stop, complaining about the fact that they were just sitting around doing nothing.<br/> <br/>Draco himself felt weighed down by the locket whenever he had to wear it. He couldn’t shake the dark thoughts that kept plaguing him. The memories of his father, telling him what a disappointment he was. The fear of not being good enough. Of losing Harry and everyone else he cared about. It made him revert to his old defence mechanism - hurt them before they can hurt you. Lash out if you're feeling insecure. Of course his spirits lifted as soon as he was allowed to take off the locket and hand it over to the next wearer, but he soon started dreading his next turn more and more.<br/> <br/>He started avoiding Harry when one of them was wearing the locket, hoping to prevent more ugly fights. He already had more than enough of those with the others. He didn’t want to start arguing with his boyfriend again as well. Being cooped up in the small cottage had been bad enough before. But with the added stress of the Horcrux in their possession, tempers were flaring even worse.<br/> <br/>Ron was still recovering from getting splinched. He spent three days confined to his bed, which did nothing for his foul mood, even though they’d all agreed that he wouldn’t have to wear the locket until he was fully recovered. He actually had the nerve to argue against that, claiming they were leaving him out, which led to more than one shouting match between him and Draco and on one occasion even him and Harry.<br/> <br/>According to the books from the Black library, at least those Remus had read so far, there were only very few ways to destroy a Horcrux. The only substance aside from Basilisk venom that would work was Manticore venom, which was even harder to get. Aside from that their only option was fiendfyre. A magical fire that was destructive as hell and nearly impossible to control. Which meant that they were back to the matter of the sword. Sirius felt that there must be a way for them to get their hands on it. <br/> <br/>“Dumbledore must have known that his will would be examined and that they wouldn’t give Harry the sword.” he reasoned.<br/>“Why didn’t he give it to me before?” Harry complained. “It was right there in his office. He could have handed it over to me any time I was there last year. He had so many chances.” He was currently wearing the locket, so everyone kindly overlooked his whiny tone and permanent scowl.<br/>“Maybe he didn’t want anyone to notice that it was gone. At least not in the middle of the school year. Are we sure it’s still there?”<br/> <br/>Of course they couldn’t be sure. The last time Harry had been in the headmaster’s office had been shortly after Dumbledore’s death and he’d had other things on his mind back then, as he grumpily informed them. Unfortunately they also had no way to check. At least they thought so, until Hermione remembered the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black at Grimmauld Place.<br/> <br/>“He could visit his portrait at Hogwarts and check.” she suggested.<br/>“And I’m sure he’ll do it, cause he’s such a nice fellow and all.” Harry snarked.<br/>“It can’t hurt to ask him.”<br/>“And what if he tells Snape about it? Then he’ll know we’ve been to Grimmauld Place.”<br/> <br/>The new school year at Hogwarts had started about two weeks ago and Snape had been declared headmaster, much to everyone's shock. Judging by what they had gathered from the articles in the Daily Prophet, he had also hired two death eaters as new teachers. They could only guess what school must be like this year. <br/> <br/>“We’ve already established that the death eaters haven’t been able to enter Grimmauld Place so far.” Sirius reasoned. “They’ve camped outside, but that’s it. I doubt that’s going to change now. And even if it does, we won’t be there for long.”<br/>“Of course you’d think it’s a splendid idea.” Harry grumbled.<br/> <br/>Sirius looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, but then thought better of it. They had all learned that getting into an argument with Harry while he was wearing the locket was pointless. Draco couldn’t shake the thought that out of all of them Harry was most affected by the Horcrux.<br/> <br/>“I say we’ve got nothing to lose.” was what Sirius finally settled on.<br/>“Right. When do you want to go?” Remus asked tensely.<br/>“No time like the present. Although I think it would be best if only Draco and I went this time.”<br/> <br/>Of course this idea didn’t sit well with Harry, who started protesting loudly against being left behind. <br/>“This has nothing to do with leaving anyone behind.” Sirius said firmly.<br/>“Oh yeah? And why should Draco go and not me?”<br/>“Because Draco and I are both Blacks by blood. Phineas Nigellus is an arse, but he won’t betray the Black line. And Draco is also a Slytherin, so I figured my dear great-great-grandfather might take a liking to him and be more cooperative.”<br/> <br/>Not even Harry could argue with that logic. While he went to brood in a corner, Sirius and Draco apparated to Grimmauld Place. After passing the by now familiar protections, making sure they were alone and assuring Kreacher that master Harry was fine, even if he couldn't accompany them today, they headed up to the room where the portrait was now stored. At first glance the frame looked empty. Phineas Nigellus made them wait a couple of minutes before showing his face. He made a few snide remarks, but just like Sirius had predicted he didn’t pass up the chance to talk to two members of the Black family. He even became a little bit nicer once he’d realized that Draco was a Slytherin.<br/> <br/>“We were hoping you could visit your portrait in Hogwarts and check something for us.” Draco explained. <br/>“Surely you are not asking me to spy on the headmaster.” Phineas warned, before waxing poetic about the great Severus Snape, first one to follow in his footsteps as Slytherin headmaster.<br/>“Of course not.” Draco assured, before Sirius could say something nasty about Snape and anger their ancestor. “Headmaster Snape was my head of house, as you surely know. I’m very happy that his talents are finally acknowledged properly.”<br/>“As you should be. He is an excellent headmaster.”<br/> <br/>Sirius rolled his eyes, but thankfully kept quiet. Draco was pleasantly surprised by his restraint.<br/> <br/>“I’m sure he is. We actually wanted to ask something different. It doesn’t have anything to do with headmaster Snape.”<br/>“Alright. Ask.”<br/>“We wanted to know if the sword of Gryffindor is still in the headmaster’s office.”<br/> Phineas Nigellus frowned. “How very strange that you should ask that.” he muttered.<br/>“Why?”<br/>“Because only yesterday four students broke into the office and tried to steal the sword.”<br/> <br/>Draco and Sirius exchanged a surprised look. The blond wondered why someone would try to steal the sword of Gryffindor. There were only a handful of people who knew that it could destroy Horcruxes. And only one girl at Hogwarts who knew that Dumbledore had wanted Harry to have it.<br/> <br/>“Was Ginny Weasley one of those students?” he asked, testing his theory.<br/>“The ginger haired girl, who used to stay in this noble home two summers ago? Indeed, she was among the would-be thieves.”<br/>“Who else?”<br/>“I did not catch the names. There was a boy from Gryffindor, a blonde Ravenclaw girl and – as much as it shames me to admit  – also a girl from my own house.”<br/> <br/>“Blonde Ravenclaw? Luna, for sure.” Draco mused.<br/>“And the other two?” Sirius wondered. <br/>“Millicent and Neville.” <br/> <br/>It made sense. The four were part of their group. They knew about the Horcruxes and Ginny had surely told them about Dumbledore’s will. Being the idiot Gryffindors they were, Ginny and Neville had probably come up with that plan. Luna was always happy to follow her friends, even if it got her in trouble. And Millicent was so hung up on Neville that she’d obviously lost all sense of self-preservation. Blaise was the only one missing. Most likely because he’d been smart enough to know that the plan would fail.<br/> <br/>“I take it the headmaster caught them?” Draco asked, turning back to the portrait.<br/>“Of course he did.”<br/>“Do you know how they got punished?”<br/>“I believe the headmaster is going to send them to the Forbidden Forest with that oaf of a groundskeeper Dumbledore was so fond of.”<br/> <br/>Okay, that didn’t sound too bad. Yes, the forest was full of dangerous creatures, but Hagrid knew the terrain well. He would make sure nothing happened to them. Draco only hoped they would learn their lesson and not try anything stupid like that again. Although, knowing Ginny, she most likely wouldn’t. She was as bull-headed as her brother.<br/> <br/>“What happened to the sword? Is it still there?” Sirius asked.<br/>“Headmaster Snape has moved it to a safe location.” Phineas Nigellus let them know. There was something odd about his tone. Draco had the feeling that he wasn’t telling them the full truth. <br/>Sirius had obviously noticed this as well. “I take it that’s not the whole story. What are you hiding?”<br/> <br/>The portrait didn’t answer right away. He seemed to be weighing his options. Wondering how much to tell them. Maybe wondering if he would betray Snape by telling them. In the end his loyalty to the Black family won out.<br/> <br/>“Two goblins arrived to take the sword. I heard them talking while headmaster Snape wasn’t in the room.”<br/>“What did they say?” Sirius asked impatiently.<br/>“They said the sword is a fake. A very good copy, but a copy nonetheless.”<br/>“It’s a fake?”<br/>“That is what they said.”<br/>“Did you tell Snape?”<br/> The portrait glowered at Sirius. “Of course I informed headmaster Snape of this.”<br/>“And…?”<br/>“He told me that he was already aware of it.”<br/> <br/>Draco and Sirius exchanged a surprised look. The sword was just a copy? And Snape knew that?<br/>“But Harry used the real sword of Gryffindor to fight the basilisk back in second year.” Draco insisted.<br/>“Yeah. And we used it to destroy the cup.”<br/>“So that means … someone must have exchanged the real sword for a fake one not so long ago.”<br/>“Dumbledore, most likely.” Sirius guessed.<br/> <br/>They asked Phineas Nigellus, who confirmed that Dumbledore had taken out the sword about a week before his death. Whether or not he’d exchanged it for the copy he couldn’t or wouldn’t tell them. But he’d already told them enough, so they took their leave and headed back to Fern Cottage.<br/> <br/>Everyone gathered in the kitchen for another discussion. Sirius and Draco told the others what they had learned and they all wondered about the missing sword. Harry had handed the locket over to Hermione by now, so he was acting pretty normal again. He immediately agreed that Dumbledore must have hidden the sword.<br/> <br/>“He probably couldn’t just give it to me without anyone noticing, so he hid it.” he mused.<br/>“And he just expected us to realize this?” Draco asked doubtfully.<br/>“Maybe he wanted to tell me and just didn’t get the chance anymore.”<br/>“Yeah. He didn’t know he was going to die. He thought there’d be time.” Ron pointed out. “Maybe he wanted to tell Harry on the last day of school or something.”<br/> <br/>Draco found it hard to believe that Dumbledore with all his plotting hadn’t planned ahead for the time after his death. But then again, he’d been one of the most powerful wizards alive. Maybe he’d thought himself invincible. He sure as hell hadn’t thought Snape of all people would turn on him. Which brought him to another question.<br/>“Phineas Nigellus said Snape knew about the fake sword.”<br/>“Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that as well.” Sirius admitted. <br/>“Dumbledore must’ve told him.” Remus said. “We know that he trusted Snape. Maybe he let him in on the plan.”<br/>“But why Snape?” Sirius wondered. “Why Snape and not Harry? Doesn’t make much sense, does it?”<br/> <br/>Draco had to agree. It would only make sense if Dumbledore had expected Snape to play a vital part in defeating Voldemort. And maybe he had. Like Remus said, the old man had always trusted Snape. Though trust was maybe the wrong word here. He'd been sure of Snape's loyalty, more likely. There had been something strange going on between the two men. Draco had always had the feeling that Dumbledore knew something about Snape. That maybe he was even blackmailing him. But he didn’t dare to voice his theory out loud. <br/> <br/>While Harry had his own doubts about Dumbledore and Sirius had had his fair share of disagreements with the old man, they both hated Snape. They wouldn’t believe that he was the victim in this scenario. Ron and Hermione had always adored Dumbledore and would never believe him capable of something as evil as blackmail. Maybe he could discuss his theory with Remus, who was usually the most level-headed of the group. <br/> <br/>Usually being the key word here. The situation was taking a toll on him as well. And to make matters worse, the full moon was fast approaching, weighing on Remus already short temper. He’d had to abandon his research for the moment, since he was unable to concentrate for long periods at a time. He could often be found pacing out in the garden, trying to work off some of his restless energy. After he’d nearly taken Hermione’s head off when she’d suggested helping with his research, they all agreed that he shouldn’t wear the locket again until the full moon had passed. Which of course meant that the rest of them had to wear it longer or more often.<br/> <br/>“I guess we won’t solve that particular mystery any time soon.” Draco finally said, after they’d discussed the matter of Snape and the fake sword for another couple of minutes. “We should probably concentrate on finding the real sword.”<br/> <br/>The others reluctantly agreed.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'd say sorry for taking so long to update, but judging by the fact that there was only one comment on the last chapter (a huge thanks to floraescence - you made my day!) I guess not many people are interested in this story anymore.</p><p>Anyways ... here's the new chapter. And it's a longer one this time. Hope you like it. Please let me know. </p><p>And of course merry christmas everyone. Hope you enjoy the holidays, despite the current situation.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the night of the full moon the kids stayed on the upper floor of the cottage. All the doors and windows were locked and heavily warded. Remus spent the night running through the surrounding fields and marshes, with Sirius in his dog form by his side. The two men returned to the cottage shortly after sunrise, both of them out of breath and covered in dirt, but thankfully uninjured. </p><p>As always the transformation had taken quite a toll on Remus and he would need a couple of days to recover. He was still confined to his bed on the second day after the full moon, so it was just Sirius and the kids at the breakfast table. Ron was finally well enough to move around freely and share the burden of the locket. Wearing it made him whiny and moody and he was prone to start complaining about every little thing. Draco had to give him a wide berth, otherwise he was scared he’d strangle the annoying red-head. </p><p>This morning it was thankfully Hermione’s turn to wear the locket. Draco found that out of all of them she was handling it best. Or well, handling her while she was wearing it was easiest, at least in his opinion.</p><p>Harry was strangely quiet this morning, which never boded well. Draco kept watching him suspiciously all through breakfast. The younger boy hadn’t had any nightmares last night, at least not as far as he could tell. And he could usually always tell, because he was a very light sleeper and woke up every time Harry started thrashing around in his sleep. And yet something seemed to bother him today. Draco decided to ask him about it later, when they were alone.</p><p>But he never got the chance, because after breakfast Harry suddenly announced: “I want to go to Godric’s Hollow.”</p><p>They all turned to stare at him. Draco felt at a loss for words. He could understand Harry’s desire to see the place where he’d lived with his parents. Where he would have grown up if they hadn't been murdered. He really did. But that didn’t change the fact that it was a bloody stupid idea. Voldemort would expect him to go there. He might run into a trap. While Draco tried to find a gentle way of talking his boyfriend out of it, Hermione spoke up.</p><p>“Yes, I think we have to.”<br/>Draco whipped his head around to stare at her. “Pardon? You actually agree with him?”<br/>Harry looked no less surprised. <br/>Hermione shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about it for days. Godric’s Hollow is the only place Harry and Dumbledore have in common. And it’s the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor. Where else should Dumbledore have hidden the sword?”</p><p>“You think he hid the sword of Gryffindor in Godric’s Hollow?” Draco asked in surprise. The thought had never occurred to him.<br/>“It would make sense, don’t you think?”<br/>“She’s right.” Sirius chimed in. “It does make sense. Dumbledore must have known that Harry would want to go there eventually.”<br/>“Well, when you put it like that…”<br/>“And Bathilda Bagshot still lives there.” Harry reminded them. “She was friends with Dumbledore. Maybe he gave it to her. Or maybe he left a message, at least.”</p><p>Yes, it did make sense, Draco had to admit. Dumbledore had never given Harry any hints. So he must have hidden the sword somewhere he expected them to go sooner or later. And nothing fit better than Godric’s Hollow.</p><p>“Okay, it does sound probable. But that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. The death eaters probably expect Harry to visit Godric’s Hollow, too.” he pointed out.<br/>“Yes, they might.” Hermione agreed. “We’ll need a good plan first.”</p><p>***<br/>They spent the rest of the day making plans. The fact that they had decided their next step lifted all of their spirits a little. Sirius in particular seemed to be vibrating with new energy and by the end of the day all of them had agreed on a course of action. Which only left the question of when they’d do it. Harry and Sirius wanted to go as soon as possible and even Draco had to agree that waiting wouldn’t make things any easier.<br/> <br/>“I’ll need at least another day or two to fully recover.” Remus pointed out. “And I’m also not sure if Ron is well enough to apparate yet.”<br/>“Yeah, I was actually thinking we’d go without you.” Sirius admitted.<br/>“You what?”<br/>“I thought it’s better if we go without you. We could do it tomorrow.”<br/>“Tomorrow. And why would that be better?” Remus asked, his voice deadly calm.<br/> <br/>“Well, the more people, the higher the risk, right? You said it yourself last time.” Sirius reminded. “More people make it more difficult to stick together. We saw that at the Ministry. And more people also draw more attention. Two or three tourists are one thing. But a whole group? Highly suspicious.”<br/> <br/>“He’s right.” Draco said softly, wincing when Remus turned to glare at him. But he held his ground. “You know he’s right.” <br/>The werewolf heaved a resigned sigh. “I suppose he is.” he admitted reluctantly. “But I still think it would be better to wait. Sirius and I could go.”<br/>“You’re not doing this without me.” Harry declared hotly. <br/>“Of course not.” Sirius assured, before turning to his boyfriend. “Harry needs to go. We need to let him do this. And we’ve already spent enough time waiting, Moony. It’s time to act.”<br/> “Just you and Harry, then?”<br/>“And Draco, I suppose.”</p><p>Draco caught Sirius’ eye and nodded. He wanted to be there as well. Possible danger quite aside, this visit would be hard for Harry. To finally see the home he'd lost. Maybe even visit his parents' grave. Harry might need him. And he also hoped that his rationalism would balance the recklessness of the two Gryffindors. At least a little.</p><p>Remus still wasn’t happy about it. And of course both Ron and Hermione protested against being left behind. But in the end they all had to give in and agree to the plan. Sirius, Harry and Draco would do this alone. They would use Polyjuice again and leave in the evening, when there’d be hopefully less people around. First they would look for a likely hiding spot and if they couldn’t find the sword they’d try to contact Bathilda Bagshot.</p><p>It all sounded simple enough. And yet Draco couldn't shake the fear that something was bound to go horribly wrong.<br/> <br/>***<br/> <br/>Early next evening Sirius, Harry and Draco polyjuiced into three elderly men from a small muggle town, before apparating to Godric’s Hollow. It was cold, wet and windy, so the streets of the village were mostly deserted. Here and there a few people were hurrying home, bent low against the wind and drizzle, but they paid the three visitors no mind. </p><p>Harry looked around eagerly, trying to take it all in. Draco couldn’t even guess what he must be feeling. Sirius too was gazing around, his eyes clouded with melancholy and only then did it occur to the blond that he must have spent many days here. Visiting his best friend. Playing with his godson... He must have happy memories of this place. And also some very dark ones. Hadn’t he been the one to find Harry and his parents after the attack?</p><p>Finally Harry looked at his godfather. “Where…?” he croaked.<br/>“Over there. Come on.”</p><p>He led them along the narrow lane, past several cottages and towards the centre of the village, but stopped suddenly to stare at something. Draco was worried for a second, until he realized what had caught his attention. What had looked like a war memorial from afar had suddenly transformed into a statue. A statue of a man with messy hair and glasses next to a woman with long hair, holding a baby. Harry stepped closer, staring transfixed at the image of his parents. Sirius kept his eyes trained on him. It seemed as if looking at the faces of the Potters was just too painful for him.</p><p>It felt like an eternity had passed when Harry turned away again. Sirius hesitated, glancing towards the church. “I guess they… Should we…?” <br/>Harry looked towards the church as well. Or more likely towards the graveyard beyond. Draco could see him shiver. “Yes, I… I’d like to… yes.”</p><p>They bypassed the church and headed straight for the graveyard, stopping just inside the kissing-gate. “I don’t know where… I’ve never been here before.” Sirius whispered apologetically.<br/>“Maybe we should split up.” Draco suggested. The graveyard was surprisingly large and they couldn’t waste too much time.<br/>“Okay. I’ll go down here.” Harry decided.<br/>“I’ll take that end.” Sirius agreed.</p><p>They started walking along the seemingly endless rows of gravestones, reading inscription after inscription. Some of the stones were so old and weathered that Draco could barely make out the name. Once he almost called out to Harry, only to realize at the last moment that he’d misread. A few minutes later he stopped in front of a particularly old stone, frowning at the strange symbol that was carved into it. It looked like the one Luna’s father had worn at the wedding. The one Krum had identified as Grindelwald’s sign. He wondered what that symbol was doing on a gravestone. Especially one as ancient as this one. But then he just shrugged it off. Maybe the symbol was a lot older and Grindelwald had simply taken a liking to it.</p><p>He straightened up again and looked for the others. Sirius was a few rows down, obviously still searching. Harry on the other hand stood rigidly, staring at the gravestone in front of him. Draco suspected that he’d found his parents grave and went to join him. Only to discover that he’d been mistaken. The inscription read: <br/>‘Kendra Dumbledore, and her daughter Ariana. Where your treasure is, there will your heart also be.’ <br/> <br/>“Harry…”<br/>“Let’s keep looking.”<br/>Draco nodded and was about to return to his row when Sirius called out. “I’ve found them.”</p><p>Harry froze. He stared at Sirius, who was only a couple of rows down from where they were standing. Draco put a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer comfort. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Harry grabbed his hand and together they walked over.</p><p>The gravestone was made of white marble and rather simple. It almost seemed to shine in the darkness. Draco didn’t even have to bend down to read the inscription.<br/> <br/>James Potter, born 27 March 1960, died 31 October 1981 <br/>Lily Potter, born 30 January 1960, died 31 October 1981 <br/>The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. <br/> <br/>“But… that’s a death eater idea!” Harry ground out, looking at Draco with wide eyes. “Why is that there?” <br/>“It doesn’t mean defeating death in the way the death eaters mean it. It means… living beyond death. Living after death.” Draco tried to explain.<br/>Harry just continued to stare at the gravestone for what felt like minutes. “But they’re not living.” he whispered finally. “They’re dead. It’ just empty words.”<br/> <br/>Draco could see tears running down his cheeks. He didn’t know what to say. How to comfort his boyfriend. He squeezed Harry's hand, hoping the simple touch would be enough.<br/> <br/>Suddenly Sirius tensed. “There’s someone there.” he whispered.<br/>Draco followed his line of sight, but couldn’t make out anything in the fading light.<br/>“Are you sure?” Harry asked, squinting into the shadows. “I don’t see anyone.” <br/>“I saw something move. There, by the bushes. Someone’s watching us.” Sirius insisted.<br/>“We look like muggles.”<br/> <br/>“But we were standing at your parents’ grave for quite a while.” Draco pointed out.<br/>“It was a cat. Or a bird. If it was a death eater, we’d be dead by now.” Harry reasoned.<br/>“Not necessarily.” Sirius mumbled.<br/>“Yeah. We shouldn’t take any chances.” Draco cautioned.<br/>“Okay. Right.” Harry agreed. He cast one last look at his parents grave, before turning away. “Let’s go.”<br/> <br/>They made their way back to the street and walked further into the village, with Sirius taking the lead again. All three of them kept glancing around nervously. Darkness had settled over the small village and the street lamps cast eerie shadows, but there was no sign of movement. Maybe it had only been an animal after all. Draco sincerely hoped so. He flinched when Sirius suddenly stopped to stare at something further down the street.</p><p>“What is it? Do you see someone?” the blond whispered.<br/>“No. It’s just…” Sirius broke off and simply pointed to a building at the end of the street. It looked like a ruin.<br/>Harry understood immediately. “Is that…?”<br/>“Your parents’ cottage. Yeah.”<br/> <br/>Harry seemed to freeze for a moment, only to spring into action a second later. He nearly ran towards the ruin. Sirius and Draco had trouble keeping up. And then they were standing right in front of the broken down building. </p><p>The hedge had grown wild, rubble lay amongst the waist-high grass and the cottage was completely covered in ivy. The right side of the top floor had been blown apart.</p><p>“They haven’t changed a thing.” Sirius croaked. “It looks just like it did that night…”</p><p>Harry reached out a trembling hand. As soon as he touched the gate, a sign rose up in front of them. <br/> <br/>On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives. Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard ever to have survived the Killing Curse. This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family.’ it read. <br/> And all around the inscription, visitors had added their own messages of hope and encouragement. ‘Good luck, Harry, wherever you are!’ ‘If you read this, Harry, we’re all behind you!’ <br/> <br/>Harry traced the graffiti with his finger. Suddenly he was grinning. “This is brilliant!” he gushed.<br/>Draco was about to agree when he caught sight of movement in the street. Someone was approaching them. He held his breath as the person came closer. It turned out to be a very old woman. She was wrapped in several layers and moving slowly, as if afraid of slipping. She stopped a few yards away from them and simply stared in their direction for a long moment. Then she raised a gloved hand and beckoned them towards her.</p><p>Harry looked at his godfather. “Is that Bathilda?”<br/>Sirius squinted. “I’m not quite sure. Might be.”<br/>“Should we follow her?”<br/>“I guess so. But be careful.”<br/> <br/>Draco had a really bad feeling about this. There was something off about that woman. But he couldn’t really put his finger on it. So he had no choice but to follow the other two as they approached her. As soon as they started moving in her direction, she turned around and led them down the street to a house with a very unkempt garden. She wobbled down the path towards the front door, fumbling with the key.</p><p>“That’s Bathilda’s house, if I remember correctly.” Sirius noted.<br/>“Are you Bathilda?” Harry asked the old woman.<br/> <br/>She nodded, finally slotting the key into the front door and opening it. Harry stepped inside first. Draco followed reluctantly. The strange feeling of dread that had gripped him when he’d first laid eyes on Bathilda was only getting worse. He inched past her cautiously and had to hold his breath. She smelled horrible. Or maybe it was the house. He couldn’t really tell.</p><p>She took off her shawl and led them into the sitting room. For the first time Draco got a good look at her. She was lined with old age, her skin blue and mottled. Her eyes were sunken into folds of skin and looked slightly glassy. He wondered if she could even see them clearly. Still swaying slightly she moved to the next room. He stopped Harry from following her.</p><p>“I have a bad feeling about this.” he finally voiced his concern aloud.<br/>But Harry shrugged him off, completely unconcerned. “Look at the size of her. I think we could overpower her if we had to. We’re three against one.” he pointed out.<br/>“Looks can be deceiving.”<br/>“Oh, come on…”<br/>“Draco is right. There’s something off about her.” Sirius chimed in.<br/> <br/>There was a strange, hissing sound from the sitting room. Draco jumped. Sirius squinted at the door with a frown. Harry, though, seemed unperturbed. “It’s okay. She’s just an old lady.” he insisted and entered the room.<br/> <br/>Draco looked at Sirius. “You have a bad feeling, too?”<br/>“Hmm… I can’t really explain it. But something just feels … off.”<br/>“You know her, right?”<br/>“Well, she used to visit James and Lily every now and then. I saw her sometimes. But that was a long time ago. I doubt that she recognized me. Hell, she’s probably half-blind by the looks of it.”<br/>“But it is Bathilda?”<br/>“I’m pretty sure, yes.”<br/> <br/>They finally entered the next room, where Harry was helping the old woman light candles that were placed on nearly every flat surface. Draco looked around and his unease grew. The whole house was a mess and it smelled like there was something rotting in the dark corners. Bathilda was clearly in no state to live alone. She was staring blankly at Sirius while Harry moved around the room. Draco wondered if she did recognize him after all.</p><p>“Why did you want us to come here, Bathilda?” the animagus suddenly asked.<br/>Bathilda didn’t answer. Instead she shuffled closer to Harry. <br/>“What is it, Miss Bagshot?” he asked.<br/>She stared at him for a moment, before jerking her head towards the hallway.<br/>“You want us to leave?” Harry asked.<br/> <br/>She shook her head and repeated the gesture. When he just gave her a puzzled look she pointed at herself, then at Harry and then at the ceiling. Draco wondered if she was mute.<br/>“Oh, right… I think she wants me to go upstairs with her.” Harry concluded.<br/> <br/>“All right.” Sirius agreed. But when he took a step towards her, she shook her head and pointed at Harry again.<br/>“I guess she wants to talk to me alone.” <br/>“Why?” Sirius asked suspiciously.<br/>“Maybe Dumbledore told her to give the sword to me, and only to me?” <br/>“Do you really think she knows who you are?” Draco wondered.<br/>“Yes, I do.”<br/> <br/>They all turned to stare at Bathilda, who looked back at them blankly.<br/>“I’ll be quick.” Harry promised.<br/>“Okay. Go.” Sirius agreed.<br/> <br/>Draco watched as Harry followed her out of the room and up the narrow staircase, dread curling in his stomach.<br/>“Are you sure it’s a good idea to leave him alone with her?” he asked.<br/>“Not at all.” Sirius said. “Which is why we’re following them. Come on.”</p><p>He cast a notice-me-not-spell on both of them and they crept upstairs. A door stood open, showing a low-ceilinged bedroom, only lit by the light of Harry’s wand. The smell coming from the room was even worse than downstairs.</p><p>Harry was in a corner, looking at Bathilda questioningly. “What is it?” he asked. She made a weird, hissing sound and Harry turned towards the table to his right.</p><p>Draco shuddered and felt goosebumps rise on his skin. “He acts like she’s talking to him.” he whispered in horror.<br/>“Because she is.” Sirius whispered back, realization dawning.<br/>“Parseltongue!” Draco gasped.</p><p>And then a couple of things happened at once. Bathilda seemed to be crumbling in on herself. Her body collapsed and from the place where her neck had been rose an enormous snake. Harry turned around, surprise and shock written all over his face as the snake lunged for him. At the same time Sirius burst through the door, firing a curse at the snake, which blasted it across the room. Harry screamed and went down.</p><p>Draco ran into the room and tried to get to him, but already the snake was attacking again. Its tail thrashed through the air, shattering a window. Glass shards rained everywhere and Harry screamed again as the snake shot towards him. Sirius hit it with another curse, which simply bounced off the scales. The snake turned its attention onto him, but he managed to get up a shield charm at the last second. Draco used the moment of distraction to slip past the thrashing tail and run to Harry’s side, falling to his knees beside the Gryffindor.</p><p>Harry was still lying on the floor, clutching his forehead, his face contorted with pain. “He’s coming!” he gasped, staring at Draco in wide-eyed fear. It took the Slytherin only a second to understand.</p><p>“Shit! Sirius, we need to get out of here! Now!” he yelled, pulling Harry into his arms.</p><p>Sirius was still trying to fight the giant snake, but it was a losing battle. It seemed as if it was immune to every curse and spell. No matter what he tried, the snake kept coming at him, forcing him to retreat further and further back towards the door. And with that further away from Harry and Draco.</p><p>“Sirius! Now!” Draco yelled again, close to panicking. Was that sound the rusty gate outside? Were those footsteps, down in the house? He couldn't be sure, because he barely heard anything over the sound of his own blood pulsing in his ears and Harry's anguished cries.</p><p>It looked as if Sirius hadn’t even heard him. He continued to shoot curses and hexes at the snake with a look of fierce determination. One of those hexes made the snake float up towards the ceiling. Sirius dove underneath it, executed a perfect somersault across the dirty bed and landed next to Draco on the floor. Without pausing a beat he grabbed Draco’s elbow, yelled “Hold on!” and everything went dark.</p><p>They landed hard in the quiet field south of Fern Cottage, where Remus had taken them after the escape from the Ministry. Sirius was on his feet in an instant, looking around to make sure that no-one had followed them. Draco however stayed on his knees, clutching Harry in his arms, who was shaking like a leaf. His eyes were closed and sweat had broken out on his forehead. Little cries and whimpers spilled from his mouth.</p><p>“Sirius!” Draco called helplessly.<br/> The animagus dropped down beside him, looking Harry over worriedly. “What happened? Did the snake bite him?”<br/>“I’m not sure. He’s not reacting.”</p><p>Harry’s body jerked violently. It looked like he was having a seizure. His cries turned into screams.</p><p>“Oh fuck! Hold onto him. I’m apparating us straight to the Cottage. We need Remus.” Sirius decided.</p><p>Draco clutched Harry tighter and closed his eyes as they were forced into crushing darkness again. This time they landed right on the front porch. Draco scrambled up, ripped open the door and yelled for Remus. Sirius tried to pick up Harry, but he was shaking so hard that it was impossible. The animagus gave up and simply levitated him inside, where he placed him on the couch.</p><p>Remus burst out of the kitchen, worry written all over his face. “What happened…?”<br/>“It’s Harry.” Draco gasped, trying to fight his rising panic.</p><p>Of course the commotion had also alerted Ron and Hermione, who rushed down the stairs, only to stop dead at the sight of Harry. Ron went deathly pale as he stared wide-eyed at his best friend. Hermione looked like she was about to burst into tears. Draco felt on the verge of tears himself.</p><p>Remus thankfully kept a clear head. He grabbed Draco’s arms and forced the blond to look at him.<br/>“Calm down, Draco. Tell me what happened.”<br/>Yes, he needed to calm down. Harry needed him to be strong. And Remus needed him to explain what had happened. <br/>“It was a trap. He got attacked by the snake. I’m not sure if it bit him. And I think his scar hurt. He said you-know-who was coming.”<br/>“Okay. Please go and get me the potions kit, Draco. Sirius, help me undress Harry. We need to check him for injuries. Ron, would you please fetch me a pair of Harry’s pyjamas? And Hermione... you could make a pot of tea.”</p><p>They all hurried off to do as he’d asked. Only when he returned with the potions kit did it occur to Draco that Remus had made sure all of them were busy doing something and wouldn't just stand there gaping at Harry. The werewolf seemed completely calm and business-like, which helped to settle Draco’s frayed nerves a bit. He still watched anxiously as Sirius and Remus stripped Harry down to his underwear, checking for injuries.</p><p>A pretty difficult task, since Harry’s body was still shaking so hard he nearly toppled off the couch a few times. His eyes were screwed shut, his hair plastered to his sweaty forehead. His screams had died down to whimpers, groans and the occasional cry, interspersed with unintelligible muttering.</p><p>“There are puncture marks on his wrist. But it looks like the snake only grazed him.” Remus noted.<br/>He cleaned the wound and put some dittany on it. Once the greenish smoke had cleared the skin looked almost normal again. <br/>“I can find no other injuries.”<br/> <br/>“Then why isn’t he getting better?” Ron asked, clutching Harry's pyjamas so hard his knuckles were turning white.<br/>“I can't say for certain, but I believe it’s his scar. You-know-who must be furious about the escape and we all know how much he can affect Harry.” Remus mused.<br/>“Is there nothing you can do?”<br/>The werewolf sighed. “I think all we can do is wait. This is a battle he has to fight alone.”</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy new year everyone. Let's hope it's going to be a better one.</p><p>Wow, nine comments on the last chapter. Guess complaining does the trick ... No, seriously. A huge thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a comment. You made me feel very appreciated. And sorry for my whining last time. I tend to get insecure about my writing from time to time.</p><p>Today's update is a bit shorter, I think. But there's a bit of smut. Which wasn't planned at all, but the boys had other ideas...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was lying on something soft and it was very quiet. He felt dizzy and disoriented. Opening his eyes took a huge effort. Once he’d finally managed it he blinked against the sudden brightness. He flinched when a shadow fell over him, but relaxed almost immediately, recognizing the blurry shape of Draco. “What happened?” he tried to ask, but all that came out of his mouth was a croak. His throat felt raw, as if he’d been screaming for hours.<br/> <br/>“Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe.” Draco whispered. <br/> <br/>He helped Harry to sit up against the headboard and handed him his glasses. Once everything came into focus, Harry realized that they were in their bedroom at Fern Cottage. Draco handed him a glass of water. While he sipped it slowly he got a good look at his boyfriend. Draco looked like hell. There were dark circles underneath his bloodshot eyes and he was even paler than usual. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair stood up in every direction, as if he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly.<br/> <br/>“What happened?” <br/>“What do you remember?”<br/> <br/>Harry racked his brain. His mind still felt sluggish and it took a moment until realization set in. When it did, he gasped.<br/> <br/>“The snake! We were attacked!”<br/>“Calm down, Harry. We got away.”<br/>“Sirius! Is he…?”<br/>“He’s fine. We’re both fine. You’re the one who got injured.”<br/> <br/>Harry relaxed back into the pillows, trying to remember more. “Bathilda.. she… she was the snake. Or … the snake, it was… inside her.”<br/>“Yes, it was.” Draco confirmed.<br/>“Once we were up in that room, she called for you-know-who. I heard it happen inside my head and I felt him get excited, but I didn’t understand. Not until it was too late…”<br/> <br/>“Sirius and I followed you upstairs. We had a bad feeling about the whole thing. When we finally realized what was happening, that you could understand her because you speak Parseltongue, she was already attacking you. Sirius started firing hexes at the snake immediately, but it looked like she barely felt them. I don’t really know how he did it, but he got us out in the end.”<br/> <br/>“I don’t remember.” Harry admitted. “I only remember pain and panic and … I could feel him in my head. It was … bad. It’s never been that bad.” He shuddered at the memory.<br/>“You’ve been … ill. Sort of.”<br/>“Sort of?”<br/>“You were unconscious and …” Draco’s voice broke and Harry felt a surge of panic.<br/>“And…?” he prodded.<br/> <br/>What had he done? Yelled curses? Tried to attack his friends? Cried like a baby?<br/> <br/>“You were screaming and shaking all over. And Remus couldn’t find any injuries, aside from a small wound at your arm, where the snake’s fangs must have grazed you. He healed it, but… you weren’t getting better. He thought… he thought it was your scar. … And he was right, wasn’t he? Harry?”<br/> <br/>Harry nodded. He remembered how it had flared, more painful than ever before. How he had seen through Voldemort’s eyes. Relived his memories. How it had felt as if he’d been Voldemort. As if he’d murdered his parents and tried to kill the baby in the crib, even though he knew that he was the baby … and then pain, nothing but pain.<br/> <br/>“Harry? Harry, are you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine.” he lied, sitting up and forcing a smile onto his face. He didn’t want to talk about what had happened. Didn’t want anyone to know what he’d seen. And Draco already looked worried and tired enough. “How long was I out?”</p><p>“A couple of hours. It’s almost morning.”<br/>“And you were awake all this time?”<br/> <br/>Draco nodded. “Sirius and Remus both offered to watch you, but I told them to get some sleep instead. I wanted to be there when you woke up.”<br/>“You didn’t need to watch over me.” Harry protested. “No offence, but you look terrible.”<br/>“Thanks a lot.” <br/>“I only meant … you look tired.”<br/>“I am tired. But I wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway. Not until I knew you’re okay.”<br/>“I’m okay now. You should get some sleep.”<br/>“Soon. First I’ve got to wake Remus. He told me to alert him as soon as you were awake.”<br/> <br/>He got to his feet and slipped out of the door, after warning Harry to stay in bed. The Gryffindor slumped back into the pillows. He felt tired as well, but he didn’t want to sleep, too afraid of the nightmares he was sure to have after this. He noticed that someone had taken off his clothes and replaced them with pyjamas. But those were drenched with sweat and sticking to his skin uncomfortably. And he thought he could still smell Bathilda’s house on himself, which made everything all the more vivid.<br/> <br/>He startled when the door opened and Draco returned with Remus and Sirius in tow. Both men looked worried and like they hadn’t gotten much sleep either.<br/> <br/>“Hey, prongslet. Feeling better?” Sirius asked softly, perching on the edge of the bed.<br/>“I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you.”<br/>“No need to apologize. It wasn’t your fault.”<br/>“It was my idea to go to Godric’s Hollow.” Harry reminded.<br/>“And we all agreed to that plan. Stop worrying. You couldn’t have known what would happen. And we got away.”<br/> <br/>“Draco said you don’t remember anything from the point where the snake attacked you.” Remus cut in.<br/>“Yeah. I heard it call for you-know-who and then… only pain.”<br/>“Your scar hurt, right?”<br/>“Yes. Worse than ever.”<br/>“And that’s all? You didn’t get a glimpse into you-know-who’s thoughts, or…?”<br/>“No. I just remember my scar hurting and then I woke up here.” <br/> <br/>Remus gave him a searching look, but he seemed to believe the lie. At least he didn’t prod any further. He simply checked Harry over and then told him to stay in bed and get some more rest, confident that he should be fine after a couple of hours more sleep.<br/> <br/>As soon as the door had closed behind the two men, Harry swung his legs out of bed.<br/> <br/>“What do you think you’re doing?” Draco asked sharply. <br/>“I want to take a shower.”<br/>“Remus just told you to stay in bed.”<br/>“But I’m sweaty and I reek of that house…”<br/>“Harry… “<br/>“I can’t sleep like this.”<br/>“I could cast a cleaning charm on you.”<br/>“No. I need a shower. Now.”<br/> <br/>He got up, wobbling slightly, but quickly found his balance. Of course Draco didn’t miss the moment of weakness.<br/> <br/>“You can barely stand.”<br/>“I can stand just fine.” Harry insisted. “I just got up a little too quickly.”<br/>“And what if you get dizzy and keel over in the shower? I won’t let you take that risk.”<br/>“I guess you’ll have to come with me then. So you can catch me if I keel over.”<br/>“… You… you want me to shower with you?”<br/> <br/>Harry blushed, only now realizing what he’d said. He had just blurted it out without thinking, because it had seemed the obvious solution. But they had never showered together before. Of course they’d been sharing a bed for the past couple of months. And they snogged and fooled around a bit, but they hadn’t gone very far yet. Some frotting, a few hand-jobs, nothing more. They’d only seen each other fully naked a handful of times.<br/> <br/>They were both inexperienced and had decided early on to take things slow. And stuck at Fern Cottage with the others it was hard to get uninterrupted alone-time. Ron had a knack for showing up at the most inopportune moments and Sirius sometimes barged in without knocking. Harry wasn’t an exhibitionist like his godfather. He found the idea of anyone walking in on them rather mortifying. <br/> <br/>So yes, nothing much had happened yet. But now that the idea was out there, he realized that he quite liked the thought of them showering together. It sounded like just the thing to take his mind off what had happened. <br/> <br/>“Yes, I do.” he declared boldly. Only to add a little quieter “If you want, that is.”<br/>“Okay.” Draco agreed, blushing slightly. “I mean, I’ve got to make sure you don’t fall on your ass, right?”<br/>“Yeah, exactly.”<br/> <br/>They both grabbed fresh pyjamas and crept out into the hallway, trying to be quiet so they wouldn’t wake Ron and Hermione. Once inside the bathroom, Draco threw a locking and silencing spell at the door. Harry tried not to think too much by it. Tried not to feel pressured. This had been his idea after all. He peeled off his sweaty clothes, staring at the wall so he wouldn’t be tempted to look at his boyfriend, who was stripping as well. <br/> <br/>When he heard Draco turn on the shower he turned and followed him into the small cubicle, careful to keep his eyes firmly above the waistline. The blond pulled him underneath the spray and Harry groaned in delight as the warm water hit his body. Draco had obviously overcome his earlier hesitancy, because he grabbed the shower gel and motioned for Harry to turn around. Once the Gryffindor complied, he started washing his back, kneading his shoulders, tracing the dips of his spine. Harry sighed in pleasure. Draco’s touches combined with the warm water helped to loosen his aching muscles.<br/> <br/>He made a noise of protest when Draco’s hands left his back and heard a soft chuckle in response. Instead of resuming his ministrations, Draco reached for the shower gel again and started washing Harry’s arms, from the wrist upwards. When he reached his shoulders he slid his hands around to Harry’s front. The Gryffindor shivered as those talented hands skimmed over his nipples and moved further downward. His cock, which had taken an interest almost as soon as he’d stepped into the shower, was fully hard by now. Draco’s hand stopped inches away.<br/> <br/>“Is that okay?” he checked and Harry shivered again as the blond’s breath tickled his neck.<br/>“Yeah. Draco, please…”<br/>“Please what?”<br/>“Don't stop.”<br/> <br/>Draco complied, gripping his hip with one hand while letting the other hand drift further down to wrap it around Harry’s straining erection. He gave it a few slow strokes and Harry arched into the touch, trying to get him to move faster. He gasped when Draco closed the small gap between them, molding their bodies together. His cock slid against Harry's lower back, just above his buttocks, hard and leaking.<br/> <br/>“Is that okay?” he asked again.<br/>“Yes. More.”<br/> <br/>He gasped as Draco started rocking against him, while simultaneously continuing to stroke his erection. Harry arched back against him, letting his head fall back to rest on Draco's shoulder. Draco quickened the pace of his strokes. They were pressed so close together that Harry could feel him trembling. Or maybe he was trembling. It was hard to tell. Little cries and moans were spilling past his lips and he was eternally grateful now for the silencing charm, because he didn't think he'd be able to hold back. It all felt just too good. Draco's hand on his cock, their bodies pressed together, slick with water, even the erection rubbing against his lower back.</p><p>Suddenly the hand around his cock tightened almost painfully, he heard Draco gasp and felt his cock jerking against his back. Harry braced his hands against the tiles as his own orgasm ripped through him, leaving him feeling weak in the knees. </p><p>They stayed like that for long moments, clinging to each other, basking in the afterglow, while the water rinsed off the traces of their lovemaking. Harry sighed in disappointment when Draco finally pulled away and reached out to turn off the shower.</p><p>"Come on. Time for bed." the blond urged softly.</p><p>Harry followed him out of the shower and accepted the fluffy towel he was handed. They dried off without looking at each other. He only sneaked a peek at Draco when he reached for his pyjamas, pulling them on almost on autopilot. The blond glanced back and they shared a shy smile. </p><p>Once they were dressed they left the bathroom and padded back down the hall to their bedroom. Draco cast a freshening charm at the sheets, before slipping into bed. Harry joined him, cuddling into his arms with a contented noise. Maybe there would be no nightmares after all.  <br/> </p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First of all a huge thanks for all the lovely comments. I was so happy about each and every one.</p>
<p>With this chapter I'm going a bit more AU. I'm really curious what you think. Please let me know.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just as Remus had predicted, Harry was fine after a couple of hours sleep. At least he claimed to be fine. Draco didn’t completely believe him. Something had happened to Harry in that house. Something he didn’t want to admit. There was a haunted look in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. But Draco didn’t prod. He knew that it would do no good. Harry was damn stubborn. He clearly didn't want to talk about it and he’d only get angry if he was pushed. <br/> <br/>So the blond resigned himself to watching his boyfriend and hoping that Harry would tell him what was bothering him when he felt ready. He noticed that Remus and Sirius were giving Harry worried looks as well and Hermione didn’t seem convinced by his assurances that he was fine either. Only Ron believed the obvious lie, but even he agreed that Harry shouldn’t wear the Horcrux for a couple of days. Just to be safe.<br/> <br/>They were all pretty quiet that day. It seemed that everyone was still dealing with what had happened. Trying to come to terms with the fact that they’d almost walked into a trap and that they still were no nearer to finding the bloody sword. The situation looked rather hopeless. <br/> <br/>After dinner they gathered in the living room, like they did most days. Hermione had her nose buried in a book, Sirius (wearing the locket) walked around aimlessly, muttering under his breath and Remus and Ron were playing wizards chess, while Harry and Draco watched. All of a sudden the silence was broken by a loud crack. They all jumped to their feet, wands at the ready. Draco’s heart was hammering as he looked around frantically, trying to spot the intruder. When his eyes fell on the small elf he sagged with relief.<br/> <br/>“Dobby! You nearly gave me a heart-attack! What are you doing here?” Harry asked, lowering his own wand.<br/>“Dobby did not mean to scare Harry Potter.” the elf squeaked in dismay.<br/>“It’s okay. You just surprised us.”<br/>“You can say that again. I nearly hexed him on sight!” Sirius growled.<br/> <br/>“Dobby is very sorry. But Dobby has an important message for young master Draco.”<br/>“For me?”<br/> <br/>The elf nodded and walked over, handing him a small package. “Mistress Narcissa be calling for Dobby. And Dobby always liked mistress Narcissa, so he came. The mistress asks him to deliver a message to master Draco. She says it will help Harry Potter.”<br/> <br/>Draco took the package with trembling hands. “Mother sent you?”<br/>“Mistress Narcissa be telling Dobby to help. And to keep it secret, so the bad people don’t find out. Owls be too dangerous, she says.” the elf explained earnestly.<br/>“Thank you, Dobby.”<br/>“Dobby must be going back to Hogwarts now.”<br/>“Alright.”<br/>“But Harry Potter be calling Dobby when he be needing help.”<br/>“We will.” Harry promised. “Thank you, Dobby.”<br/> <br/>The elf vanished with another loud crack. For a long moment no-one spoke. Draco just stared at the package in his hands, wondering if his mother was okay. She was playing a very dangerous game and he couldn’t help but worry for her safety. <br/> <br/>“Your mother is an extremely intelligent woman. She will make sure that she isn’t caught helping us.” Remus said softly, as if reading his thoughts.<br/>“You can’t know that.”<br/>“Give her some credit, Draco. Using Dobby to deliver her message was very clever.”</p>
<p>“Are you going to open that or not?” Sirius cut in impatiently.<br/> <br/>Draco sighed and opened the package. It contained a letter and a glass vial filled with a swirling, grey substance. <br/> <br/>“Is that… a memory?” Harry asked.<br/>“I guess so.”<br/>“Why would she send you a memory?”<br/>“I have no idea.” Draco had to admit. “Let me just read the letter. I’m sure that’ll explain it.”<br/> <br/>He unfolded the parchment, recognizing his mother’s elegant handwriting at once, even though it wasn’t as flawless as usual. It looked like she’d written the letter in a hurry.</p>
<p><br/> <br/><em>My dearest Draco,</em><br/><br/><em>I cannot say nearly as much as I want to in this letter, as time is of the essence. I am writing this while your father is asleep and I have to make sure he does not catch me. Please know that my thoughts are always with you and that I love you very much.</em><br/><br/><em>The main reason for this message however is that Severus asked for my help. The memory I am enclosing is his. I do not know what exactly it contains. He would not say. He merely told me that your Harry needs to see it and that it is essential for the task you have set yourselves. Judging by his grave expression I would recommend that you don’t let Harry watch it on his own. </em><br/><br/><em>I know that you probably do not trust Severus and I cannot blame you. But please know that he has always been on your side, as have I. You may not always understand our decisions and our actions and I cannot explain them now, but we both do have our reasons. I give you my word that you can trust Severus. </em></p>
<p><em>Of course I know that this will not be enough for your Harry. Or my cousin for that matter. There is too much animosity there. Too many years of bad blood. But it is important that you all understand where Severus’ loyalty lies. So I have decided to break my word to him and tell you his most closely guarded secret. It is something he would not want anyone to know. Least of all Harry Potter. But these are desperate times. I can only hope he will forgive my indiscretion.</em><br/><br/><em>Severus has been in love with Lily Potter all of his life. They had known each other as children, even before they went to Hogwarts. They used to be friends. </em><br/><br/><em>I know that this is hard to believe. Your Harry will want some proof for this, so I am also enclosing an old picture of the two of them. I took that picture myself, when we were in third year. Even back then I could tell how taken Severus was with her. And even though they had a fall-out some two years later, he never stopped loving her. Her death broke him and turned him into the bitter man he is now. </em><br/><br/><em>Her death was also the reason he turned against the dark lord and became a spy for Dumbledore. He tried everything to save her. He pleaded with the dark lord to spare her. He sold his soul to Dumbledore, hoping the old man would be able to protect her. But he failed and he never forgave himself. Please bear that in mind when you watch his memory. Severus wants to see the dark lord defeated as much as you do.</em><br/><br/><em>I hope that this message will help you in your quest. Take care of yourself, my little dragon.</em><br/><em>Your loving mother</em><br/><em>Narcissa</em><br/> </p>
<p>Draco stared at the letter in astonishment. Snape and Harry’s mother? It was hard to believe. And yet it would explain a lot. Snape’s bitterness for one thing. His hatred for James Potter. Even his weird relationship with Dumbledore. It also undermined Draco’s theory that Dumbledore had blackmailed Snape. <br/> <br/>“Well, what did she write?” Sirius asked impatiently.<br/> <br/>Draco wordlessly handed him the letter and waited for the inevitable explosion. He didn’t have to wait long.<br/> <br/>“That’s bullshit!”<br/>“What’s bullshit?” Harry wanted to know.<br/>“Dear Cissy claims Snape is on our side because he loved your mum.”<br/>“What?!”<br/> <br/>Draco ignored his boyfriend’s uproar. He had only just noticed the photo lying face down at the bottom of the small package. Snape was easy to recognize, even as a kid. He was sitting under a tree somewhere on the Hogwarts grounds. Next to him was a pretty girl with long, bright red hair. She was smiling and pointing at something in the book in her lap, but Snape wasn’t looking at the book. He was looking at her with what Draco could only describe as adoration. It was the sort of look Ron was giving Hermione when he thought no-one was watching. The sort of look he was surely giving Harry when he thought no-one was watching.<br/> <br/>“Draco!”<br/> <br/>The blond startled, only now noticing that Harry had walked over and was glaring at him.<br/> <br/>“What’s your mum playing at?”<br/>“I think she’s telling the truth.” Draco said quietly.<br/>“What? You can’t seriously think Snape is on our side! Or that stuff about my mum!”<br/>“Harry…”<br/>“He called her a mudblood!”<br/>“Harry, look.”<br/> <br/>Draco showed him the picture. Harry took it, staring at the smiling face of his mother for a long moment.<br/> <br/>“That doesn’t prove anything.” he claimed stubbornly. <br/>“Look at his face, Harry.”<br/>“He was always an ugly git. So?”<br/>“He obviously adored your mother.”<br/>“He called her a mudblood!”<br/> <br/>“I think Draco is right.” Remus cut in. <br/>They all turned to stare at him. Draco in surprise, the others in disbelief. <br/>“Moony…” Sirius whined, looking betrayed.<br/> <br/>“They were friends. You must remember how she always defended him, Padfoot. How she got angry when you and James played pranks on him. They were very close during first year and even after. It only changed in fifth year, when Snape started hanging out with his death eater pals. Don’t you remember that incident Harry was referring to?”<br/> <br/>“I remember Snape calling her a mudblood. James was furious.”<br/>“Yes, he was. And Lily was hurt. She didn’t talk to Snape again. But she still didn’t stop admonishing you when you played pranks on him.”<br/>“She was a prefect…”<br/>“That had nothing to do with it.”<br/> <br/>“Wait… Snape and my mum used to be friends? Really?” Harry asked doubtfully.<br/>“Yes, really. I know it’s hard to believe, but they were very close as children.” Remus said.<br/>“But… why did he…?”<br/>“Why he called her that awful name? I’m not sure. I guess it’s got something to do with hurt pride. And I’m sure he regretted it.”<br/> <br/>Sirius snorted. “Not bloody likely.”<br/>“He kept staring at her. I often thought he looked like he wanted to take it back. To apologize. But he was already in too deep with people like Yaxley.” Remus mused.<br/>“So you think we should believe Draco’s mum? That Snape is on our side?” Harry checked.<br/>Remus hesitated only briefly. “Yes, I suppose we should. I mean, Dumbledore never questioned Snape’s loyalty. This would at least explain why.”<br/> <br/>“But Snape killed Dumbledore!” Ron protested. “Or… at least he helped Nott kill Dumbledore.”<br/>“Exactly!” Harry agreed. “Why should he do that if he was on our side?”<br/>“I don’t know. And I think speculating about his motives will get us nowhere.”<br/>“And what do you suggest we do?” Sirius re-joined the discussion.<br/>“Watch his memory. Maybe it explains a few things.”<br/> <br/>“Do we even have a pensieve?” Hermione wanted to know. Draco was surprised that she’d kept quiet all this time.<br/>“There is one at Grimmauld Place.” Remus answered.<br/>“I’ll get it.” Sirius decided. And before anyone could agree or disagree he had already disapparated.<br/> <br/>The others were left standing there in silence. Draco looked at Harry, but the Gryffindor wouldn’t meet his eyes. Which was, quite frankly, ridiculous. He had no right to feel betrayed, just because Draco had a different opinion. But when it came to Snape, Harry was usually anything but rational. <br/> <br/>It was Ron who finally broke the tense silence. “What if Snape tries to trick us with that memory?” <br/>“Trick us how?” Draco asked.<br/>“I don’t know. Maybe it’s fake or something…”<br/>“It’s extremely difficult to fake memories.” Hermione let them know.<br/>“But not impossible?”<br/>“No.”<br/> <br/>“I think I’d recognize it if he’d tinkered with the memory.” Harry claimed. “The memory of Slughorn that Dumbledore showed me was … strange. It was clear that he’d done something to it.”<br/>“You’re sure?” Ron checked.<br/>“Pretty sure, yeah.”<br/> <br/>“There’s also the fact that my mother trusts Snape. And I trust my mother’s judgement.” Draco declared.<br/>“But she’s…” Ron started, only to cut himself off.<br/>“She’s what?”<br/>“Well, she’s … one of them, isn’t she? The death eaters? I mean, she didn’t leave when Andromeda offered….” he trailed off at Draco’s dark look.<br/> <br/>“My mother never took the dark mark, if that’s what you wanted to know. She’s been dragged into this mess by my father. And she’s been using her position to help us, with great risk for her own safety. So don’t you dare throw her in with people like Bellatrix or…”<br/> <br/>“Calm down, Draco.” Remus chided softly. “I’m sure Ron didn’t mean it like that.”<br/>“Yeah, I… I just meant… You know, never mind.”<br/> <br/>Draco continued to glare at the red-head, until Harry walked over and wrapped his arms around him.<br/> <br/>“Stop trying to murder Ron with a look. You know that he can be a bit stupid sometimes.”<br/>“More than a bit, if you ask me.” Draco grumbled.<br/>“I know you trust your mum. So… when Sirius comes back with the pensieve, we’re going to watch that memory, okay?”<br/>“And you’ll ignore the fact that it’s Snape’s?”<br/>“I’ll try.” Harry promised.<br/> <br/>Draco knew that this was the best he was going to get. But before he could say so, Sirius returned. He was carrying a heavy-looking pensieve and looked as if he didn’t know whether to laugh or continue scowling.<br/>“Kreacher sends his regards. He was most disappointed that master Harry wasn’t with me.” <br/> <br/>Harry threw a nervous glance in Hermione’s direction and Draco wondered if he was scared he’d get a lecture. Either for owning a house elf in the first place or for neglecting poor Kreacher. You never knew with Hermione.<br/> <br/>“Okay, let’s see what Snape wanted to show us.” the blond urged.<br/>“You’re going to watch it with me?” Harry checked.<br/>“Yes, of course.”<br/>“And me too.” Sirius decided. “I want to know what old Snivellus deemed so important.”<br/>“Try to be open minded.” Remus suggested helpfully. “And take off the Horcrux first.”<br/> <br/>Sirius dutifully took off the locket and handed it over. He had placed the pensieve on the coffee table. Draco and Harry walked over and they grouped around it. Draco handed the vial with Snape’s memory to Harry.<br/> <br/>“Whenever you’re ready.”<br/> <br/>Harry took a deep breath to steel himself. Then he opened the stopper and poured the memory into the pensieve. Draco grabbed his hand. They shared a last look and plunged into the memory together…</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First of all thanks for the lovely comments. And sorry for the long wait. It's another short chapter this time, but I hope the next one will be longer. As always, please let me know what you think.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They landed in Dumbledore's office and saw the old headmaster half-lying in his chair, semi-conscious. Snape was standing in front of him, pointing his wand at the wrist of Dumbledore’s blackened hand and muttering incantations, before forcing a goblet full of potion down Dumbledore’s throat. On the desk in front of them lay the ring that had housed the Horcrux. After a moment Dumbledore’s eyelids fluttered open. <br/> <br/>“Why did you put on that ring?” Snape demanded to know. “It carries a curse, surely you’ve realized that. Why even touch it?”<br/>The old headmaster sat up groggily. “I was a fool. Sorely tempted.”<br/>“Tempted by what?”<br/> <br/> Dumbledore didn’t answer. He was busy examining his dead-looking hand with detached curiosity. Snape scowled at him.<br/> <br/>“It is a miracle you managed to return here. That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power. To contain it is all we can hope for.”<br/>“You’ve done very well, Severus.” Dumbledore murmured. “How long do you think I have?”<br/>“I cannot tell. Maybe a year. There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread eventually. It is the sort of curse that strengthens over time.”<br/> <br/>Dumbledore smiled. The news that he had less than a year to live didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. "Well, that makes matters much more straightforward." he mused. Snape just gave him a puzzled look. "I refer to Voldemort's plan to have the poor Nott boy murder me.”<br/> <br/>Snape looked like he wanted to discuss the matter of the curse further, but then he merely shook his head and pointed out. “The Dark Lord doesn’t expect Theodore to succeed. This is merely intended as torture for Nott senior. A punishment for his failures."</p><p>“In short, the boy has had a death sentence pronounced upon him as surely as I have. The natural successor to the job, once Theodore fails, is yourself I assume?”<br/>“That, I think, is the Dark Lord’s plan.”<br/>Dumbledore nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. “So Voldemort believes that Hogwarts will soon fall into his grasp?”<br/>“I believe so, yes.”<br/> “And if the school does fall into Voldemort’s grasp, I have your word that you’ll do all in your power to protect the students?”<br/>“Yes.”<br/> <br/>“Good. Find out what Theodore is up to. Offer him guidance.”<br/>“He won’t listen. He doesn’t trust me.”<br/>“All the same, try. I fear not only for young Theodore himself, but also for innocent victims. Ultimately, of course, there’s only one thing to be done to save him.”<br/>“Are you intending to let him kill you?” Snape asked sarcastically.<br/>“Certainly not. You must kill me.”<br/> <br/>Snape looked at him, completely aghast. “You want me to kill you?”<br/>"Death is coming for me as surely as the Chudley Cannons will finish bottom of this year's league. I confess, I would prefer a quick, painless exit."<br/>“Then why not let Theodore do it?”<br/>“That boy’s soul is not yet so damaged.”<br/>“And what about my soul?” <br/>“You will help an old man avoid pain and humiliation. That should not damage your soul.” Dumbledore reasoned. “I ask this one great favour of you, Severus.”<br/>“You have done nothing but ask favours of me!” Snape shouted.<br/> <br/>The scene dissolved, only to be replaced by the next one. They were in the headmaster's office again, but obviously a couple of days or maybe even weeks later. This time Snape was sitting in a chair, while Dumbledore walked around him, talking.<br/> <br/>“Harry must not know. Not until the last moment. Not until it is necessary. Otherwise how could he have the strength to do what must be done?”<br/>“What must be done?” Snape echoed, but Dumbledore acted as if he hadn’t heard him.<br/>“Listen closely now, Severus, for this is very important. There will come a time when Voldemort will fear for the life of his snake."<br/>“For Nagini?”<br/>“Precisely. When Voldemort starts keeping Nagini beside him, then, I think, it will be safe to tell Harry.”<br/>“Tell him what?”<br/> <br/>“On the night Voldemort tried to kill him, when the killing curse rebounded, a fragment of Voldemort’s soul was blasted apart from the whole and latched onto the only living soul left in that building. Part of Voldemort lives inside Harry. It is that which gives him a connection with Voldemort’s mind that he has never understood. And while that fragment of soul remains attached to and protected by Harry, Voldemort cannot die.”<br/> <br/>“So the boy … the boy must die?” Snape asked after a bout of silence.<br/> “And Voldemort himself must do it.”<br/> "I thought.. all these years … that we were protecting him for her. For Lily." Snape whispered.<br/> <br/>“We’ve protected him because it has been essential to teach him. To form him. I have planned everything very carefully, Severus. When Harry sets out to meet his death, it will, truly, mean the end of Voldemort.”</p><p>“You’ve kept him alive so he can die at the right moment?” Snape sounded completely horrified.<br/>“Don’t be shocked, Severus.” Dumbledore chided. “How many men and women have you watched die?”<br/>“Lately, only those whom I could not save.”<br/>“We are fighting a war. Sacrifices have to be made, Severus… For the greater good.”<br/> <br/>Snape jumped to his feet, suddenly furious. “You have used me! I’ve spied for you, lied for you, put myself in mortal danger. To keep Lily’s son safe. And now you tell me you’ve been raising him like a pig for slaughter!”</p><p>Dumbledore seemed amused by his outburst. “How touching, Severus. Have you come to care for the boy after all?”<br/>“For him?” Snape yelled. He pulled out his wand and conjured a Patronus. It was a doe.<br/> <br/>"Lily Potter still? After all this time?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.<br/>"Always."</p><p> ***</p><p>With a sudden lurch Harry found himself sitting on the floor in the sitting room of Fern Cottage again. He felt … sort of numb. Sirius was shouting obscenities and Draco kept shaking his head and muttering “Nonono….”, obviously unwilling to believe what they had just learned. <br/> <br/>“What is it? What did you see?” Remus wanted to know.<br/>Ron looked from Sirius to Harry. “It’s that bad?” <br/>“That fucking old prick!”<br/>“Sirius, stop insulting Snape and tell me what you saw.” The werewolf ordered.<br/>“That bloody, fucking…!”<br/> <br/>“We saw Snape talking to Dumbledore.” Harry found himself saying. His voice sounded hollow even to his own ears. <br/>“Okay. And…”<br/>“Dumbledore said … he said…” He was unable to repeat it. The thought was too horrible for words. And yet Harry knew in his heart that it was true. It explained so much…<br/> <br/>In the end it was Draco who answered, his voice thick. “He said … Harry is a Horcrux.”</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know I said something about a longer chapter last time. And I had planned a longer one. But then I thought it would make more sense to split it. So you'll get a short chapter now and another one in a couple of days.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Harry is a horcrux.”</p><p>Shocked silence followed Draco’s words. Remus was shaking his head in disbelief, Hermione looked about ready to cry and Ron had gone so pale that his freckles stood out sharply in contrast. Draco looked over at Harry, who was just sort of standing there, as if frozen.</p><p>Remus, always the level-headed one, was the first to recover. “Tell me exactly what the memory contained.”</p><p>Since neither Harry nor Sirius seemed able to answer, Draco relayed to the others what they had seen. How Snape had treated Dumbledore’s hand and his estimation that the old headmaster had less than a year to live. Dumbledore ordering Snape to kill him. And then … the horrible truth about Harry’s connection with you-know-who. Dumbledore’s plan to only tell Harry at the last moment that he had to die if they were ever going to defeat you-know-who.</p><p>This time Hermione did burst into tears. Ron looked like he was about to faint.</p><p>“No!” Sirius yelled suddenly. “I don’t believe it. Snape must have done something to manipulate that memory.”</p><p>Draco wanted to believe his theory. He wanted it so much. But he couldn’t. “He didn’t.” he said softly.</p><p>“We can’t be sure... Moony…”</p><p>Remus sighed. “It’s relatively easy to find out if Harry really is a horcrux.” He turned to Harry. “Is it okay if I cast the detection spell on you?”</p><p>Harry nodded wordlessly, so Remus drew his wand and pointed it at him. Draco shivered at the sinister sounding words that left his mouth and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see that greenish glow surrounding his boyfriend, proving what he already knew.</p><p>Hermione’s sob told him that the others had looked. That it was true.</p><p>“So Harry… Harry has to … die?” Ron asked.</p><p>Draco opened his eyes just in time to see a shiver run through Harry’s body. All of a sudden he looked livid.</p><p>“And Dumbledore knew it.” he said harshly. “All this time… he knew it. Everything he did… it wasn’t meant to help me survive. He just wanted to keep me alive as long as he needed me. He never cared about me as a person. It’s like Snape said. He raised me like a fucking pig for slaughter!”</p><p>Hermione was openly crying now. Ron stared at his best friend in shock. “But Harry… maybe…”</p><p>“No! Don’t try to make excuses for him!” Harry yelled. “Don’t you dare! I’m sick and tired of people telling me to just believe in Dumbledore. Believe in his grand plans. His fucking plan is for me to get killed! I trusted him! I thought he actually cared about me. But all this time I was … I was just…”</p><p>“A pawn in his game.” Sirius finished Harry’s sentence with a low growl. “That fucking prick! He’s lucky he’s already dead. I’d strangle him myself if he wasn’t!”</p><p>“That is not exactly constructive, Sirius.” Remus chided.</p><p>“I don’t care about constructive! And I don’t care about Dumbledore’s bloody plans. I’m not going to sit back and watch my godson get killed!”</p><p>“Of course not.”</p><p>“But … I’m a horcrux.” Harry said meekly. It seemed as if his anger had dissipated just as quickly as it had come and all the fight drained out of him.</p><p>“Yes, you are.” Remus agreed. “But that doesn’t mean you have to die. There’s got to be another way.”</p><p>“And we’re going to find it.” Draco vowed, grabbing Harry’s hand. “I’m not letting you die.”</p><p> ***</p><p>Draco and Harry went to bed early that night, but sleep was a long time coming. For a while they laid side by side, staring at the ceiling, neither saying a word. In the end it was Draco who couldn’t stand the tense silence any longer.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” he inquired softly.</p><p>“Honestly? I don’t even know.” Harry said with a sigh, turning to face him. “I mean, how am I supposed to feel? Hurt? Scared? Angry?”</p><p>“All of that, I suppose.”<br/>“I think I mostly feel … betrayed. And I can’t help thinking you were right.”<br/>“About what?” Draco asked.</p><p>“About Dumbledore. You said I shouldn’t trust him blindly. That there was something he wasn’t telling me. And you were right.”</p><p>“For once I hate being right.”</p><p>Harry smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Draco hated Dumbledore for putting that sad look on his face. For using and betraying Harry like this. He’d never been a fan of the old headmaster, but right now he felt a sort of vindictive pleasure at the thought that he was dead. He hoped his death had been painful.</p><p>“It’s okay to be angry, you know? And scared. I’m scared, too.” he admitted.</p><p>“I’ve accepted the fact that I get these … visions of him, you know? I mean, I still hate it. Of course I hate it. But I sort of … got used to it. It was just something that happened to me and even though I didn’t know why it happened, I could handle it. But now? Knowing that there’s a piece of him inside of me… It makes me feel sick. And … I can’t help but think… Back in fifth year, when I was always so angry… What if it was because of him? What if he’s … poisoning me from inside? What if I become like him?”</p><p>Harry’s voice broke. Draco pulled him into his arms and just held him.</p><p>“You’re nothing like him! Don’t even think that for a second.” he whispered harshly. “Yes, there’s a piece of his soul inside you. And yes, that explains why you get these visions. But that’s all there is to it, Harry. He can’t possess you. He can’t make you do anything you don’t want. You are you. You’re amazing and kind and loving… You’re everything he’s not. Do you hear me?”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“No, buts. With all the shit that happened in fifth year you had every right to be pissed at the world. Everyone gets angry sometimes. And everyone does stupid things sometimes. I mean, look at me. Look at how I treated you and Hermione for years. And I don’t have the excuse that there are dark lord bits in me.”</p><p>Harry snorted a laugh and pulled away from him. “You’re a nutter.”<br/>“So are you.”<br/>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Try not to think about it too much.” Draco advised. “You’ll only drive yourself mad.”<br/>“Easier said than done.”<br/>“I know.”</p><p>“Do you… do you think Remus will find a way to get rid of it?” Harry asked hesitantly.<br/>“I’m sure he will.”<br/>“And what if he doesn’t?”<br/>“He will. Hermione is helping him research. They won’t rest until they’ve found a way.”<br/>“But what if…”</p><p>“Have a little faith, will you? You’re Harry bloody Potter. I’m refusing to believe that your infamous luck has suddenly run out.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Draco could see that Harry didn’t believe it. And he couldn’t even blame him. He was scared shitless as well, but admitting that wouldn’t help. Harry needed him to be strong. To think positive. So he would push his own fears aside and continue to assure Harry that everything would turn out okay. It just had to.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So here's the next chapter, just like I promised. It's the first one that goes really AU. I had planned it from the beginning, but I'm still very unsure, so I'd be grateful if you guys could let me know what you think of it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next couple of days were a blur for Harry. He mostly functioned on autopilot, while his mind was miles away, walking the same dark path over and over again. Draco was at his side constantly, making sure he ate and slept and doing his best to get Harry out of his own head. He kept up a stream of idle chatter or reminded Harry to stay positive or just sat with him quietly. His worry should have been stifling, but instead Harry was eternally grateful for his presence.</p><p>They all handled the scary situation differently. While Draco was obviously on 24-hour-taking-care-of-Harry-duty, Remus and Hermione spent every waking hour locked in the study, poring over books and took turns sleeping. Though Harry wasn’t even sure if they slept at all. Sirius disappeared for hours on end and often returned late at night. Harry fretted about what he might be doing, until Draco told him that he was trying to get his hands on more books about the dark arts.</p><p>And Ron started channelling his mother. He had taken over the cooking and made it his mission to ensure they all ate regular meals. He served Remus and Hermione in the study, dragged Draco and Harry to the kitchen table and even forced lunch packets on Sirius when he went out.</p><p>They had all agreed not to wear the locket for a while. Things were bad enough without the added stress of the horcrux around their necks. They now stored it on the desk in the study, where Remus or Hermione could keep an eye on it at all times and grab it quickly, should the need arise.</p><p>The days blended together. Harry had no idea how much time had gone by since the fateful revelation, when all of a sudden Remus’ shout rang through the house, startling them all. He had been sitting on the couch with Draco, listening to the blond drone on about something or other without really hearing the words. Now they both jumped up in alarm. Ron came running out of the kitchen, wielding a spatula like a weapon and Sirius thundered down the stairs, wand drawn.</p><p>Remus burst into the living room. His eyes were red-rimmed, his clothes wrinkled and he hadn’t shaved for days. But he looked excited, clutching a battered, old book to his chest like a treasure.</p><p>“We found it!” he exclaimed.</p><p>Hermione followed at a slower pace. She looked half-asleep on her feet, but she too was smiling.</p><p>“You found a way to rid Harry of the horcrux?” Draco checked.<br/>“Yes, we did!”<br/>“Tha… that’s awesome! Harry, what did I tell you?!”</p><p>Harry felt a wave of relief sweep through him, making his knees buckle. Only Draco, who had drawn him into a fierce hug, kept him upright. Suddenly everyone was talking over each other, Ron was laughing and Sirius started doing a sort of victory dance. It was complete mayhem.</p><p>Remus waited for everyone to calm down and take a seat, before launching into an explanation. “It was in this old tome Sirius bought from that hag in Knockturn Alley two days ago. The one that’s written in runes. There’s a whole chapter about horcruxes. It doesn’t say much on how to destroy them, but there’s a lot about creating them. The author warns against using a living being to house the horcrux, because when the person or animal dies, the horcrux dies with them. To prevent that, he suggests extracting the horcrux from the person and placing it in a different container.”</p><p>“And there’s a spell for that?” Sirius wanted to know.<br/>“Not really a spell. It’s actually more of a ritual. A pretty dark and complicated ritual.”<br/>“But you think you can do it?”<br/>“I’m sure I can.”<br/>“Will it be dangerous for Harry?” Draco asked.</p><p>“A bit.” Remus had to admit. “The problem is that this ritual was meant for when the person containing the horcrux is close to death. Extracting the horcrux weakens the person’s own soul and magical core, resulting in their death when they are already weak.”</p><p>“But we found a solution for this.” Hermione chimed in, when the others stared at Remus in shock.<br/>“Indeed, we did. We found a way to slightly alter the ritual, so Harry won’t be harmed.”<br/>“And how?”</p><p>“I'm going to create a temporary bond between Harry and another person. This person will function as a sort of anchor for Harry, to keep his soul and magic safe during the ritual. He’s probably still going to be weak for a couple of days, but there will be no lasting effects. Once I’ve extracted the horcrux, I can put it into another container. One which we can safely destroy.”</p><p>“And Harry won’t be harmed?” Draco checked.<br/>“No, he won’t. We made sure of that.” Remus assured.<br/>“And…. how does this … bond-thing work?” Harry spoke up for the first time.</p><p>“Like I said, it’s a temporary bond between you and another person. A bit like a marriage bond, but with the difference that it only lasts a couple of hours. But … there are some side-effects you need to be aware of.”</p><p>“What side-effects?”</p><p>“You and that other person will, for all intents and purposes, become one for the duration of the ritual. You will see each other’s thoughts and memories, share each other’s feelings… I’m afraid, there will be no more secrets between you.” the werewolf explained. “I know that’s going to be hard, but it’s the only way to make sure you survive the ritual. Of course it’s up to you who you’ll choose for this bond.”</p><p>A bout of shocked silence followed his words.</p><p>“I’ll do it.” Draco was the first to speak up again.<br/>“I would as well.” Sirius offered.<br/>“Yeah, me too.” Ron said, though he looked a lot less sure.</p><p>Harry looked from one to the other. The thought of anyone knowing all of his secrets was too scary for words. But it was like Remus had said. There was no other way. If he wanted to get rid of that bit of Voldemort’s soul and survive, he would have to choose someone.</p><p>He loved his godfather dearly and Ron was his best friend, but just the thought of them seeing his life with the Dursleys, or his more intimate encounters with Draco made him cringe. No, there was only one person he felt comfortable enough with to even consider it. One person who already knew more about his dark past than anyone else.</p><p>“I … I want Draco to do it.” he whispered, glancing at his boyfriend. “If you’re really sure, that is.”<br/>“Of course I’m sure, Harry.”<br/>“Okay then.”</p><p>Ron looked relieved that Harry hadn't chosen him. Sirius’ face on the other hand was strangely unreadable and Harry wondered if he'd hurt his godfather’s feelings by not choosing him. Maybe he should have at least taken more time to consider.</p><p>"We'll have to make a few preparations before the ritual. And I'd like to get a good night's sleep before we attempt it. I want to be fully alert." Remus spoke up again. "But I think we could be ready to do it tomorrow night. If that's okay with you." He looked at Harry and Draco, who both nodded.</p><p>"The sooner the better." Draco said.<br/>"Yeah. Whenever you're ready, I guess." Harry added. It was probably a good thing if he had less time to fret about it.<br/>"Okay. Tomorrow night then." Remus decided. "And now you'll have to excuse me. My bed is calling."</p><p>Hermione went to bed as well and Ron returned to the kitchen to finish his scones. Sirius wandered off towards the study. Harry debated about following him, but then took a seat next to Draco on the couch again, wanting to talk to the blond first.</p><p>“Are you really sure you want to do this?” he checked.<br/>“Of course. I already said so, didn’t I?”<br/>“Yeah, it’s just… you heard what Remus said. No more secrets.”<br/>“It’s a scary thought.” Draco admitted.<br/>“Yeah. We’ll know everything about each other.”</p><p>They were both quiet for a long moment.</p><p>It was Draco, who broke the silence. “You already know a lot about me.”<br/>“And you know a lot about me. More than anyone else.”<br/>“It won’t be so bad. I mean, we both know what to expect. At least to some extent, right?”<br/>“Yeah, right.” Harry agreed. “And if… if anyone has to see my childhood memories, I’m glad it’ll be you.”<br/>“Same here. I know that you understand in a way only few people could. That makes it easier.”<br/>“Hmm… for me too.”</p><p>“We didn’t ask Remus any details about the ritual.” Draco suddenly realized.<br/>“I didn’t even think about that. I was too caught up on that whole bond-thing.”<br/>“Well, I’m sure he’ll explain it to us tomorrow. Or Hermione will. The most important thing is getting rid of the horcrux in you.”</p><p>“I really hope Remus is going to explain it. Hermione would bore us to death with facts and historical stuff.”<br/>“There’s nothing wrong with a bit of background knowledge.” Draco argued.</p><p>“You know Hermione. It’s never just a bit of background knowledge with her. You ask her a simple question and get a lecture in response. Isn’t it enough if we know the basics of the ritual? I mean, we already know what it does and I’m sure Remus is going to tell us what to do.”</p><p>“Okay, you … might be right about that.”<br/>“Of course I’m right. You just don’t want to admit it.”<br/>“Maybe.”</p><p>Harry shook his head with a chuckle. He already felt a bit lighter than he had in days. They were going to get rid of that bloody horcrux inside him. He wouldn’t have to die. And even if he still felt a certain sense of dread about that bond-thing and the ritual as a whole, that fact alone was enough to lift his spirits.</p><p>“I’m going to go and talk to Sirius, okay?” he decided after another moment of silence.<br/>“You don’t have to justify your decision to him. You know that, right?” Draco checked.</p><p>Harry sighed. He should have known that his boyfriend would realize what was on his mind. Draco knew him too well. “I know that I don’t have to. But I still want to.”<br/>“Okay. Go on then. I’m sure I can find something to amuse myself for a while.”<br/>“You could always help Ron in the kitchen.”</p><p>His suggestion was met with an incredulous stare. Harry grinned and went in search of his godfather. He didn’t have to look far. Sirius was lounging in a chair in the study, listlessly thumbing through some old book. He looked up when he heard Harry entering.</p><p>“Hey prongslet, everything okay?”<br/>“I’m a little nervous about that ritual.” Harry admitted.</p><p>Sirius patted the seat beside himself, so Harry sat down, facing his godfather.</p><p>“I can understand that you’re nervous. But Moony knows what he’s doing. You’ll be in good hands.” Sirius assured.<br/>“I know. I trust him. It’s just…”<br/>“That thing with the bond?”<br/>Harry nodded. “It’s a bit scary.”<br/>“I can imagine. The thought of someone seeing all of your thoughts and memories … it can’t be easy.”<br/>“Yeah…”</p><p>Sirius gave him an assessing look. “I understand why you choose Draco.”<br/>“You do?”<br/>“Of course I do. If I were in your shoes, I would have wanted it to be Remus.”<br/>“So you’re not … disappointed or anything that I didn’t want you to do it?” Harry checked.</p><p>“Not at all. How can you even think that, Harry? My offer was genuine and if you had wanted me to do it, I would have. But as I understood it the memory part goes both ways and I wouldn’t want to burden you with my dark past. I can also understand that there are things in your past you wouldn’t want me to know. We all have our personal demons and sharing those is hard. Even with the people we trust.”</p><p>Harry breathed a sigh of relief, incredibly glad that Sirius understood. “It is.” he agreed. He was actually a bit surprised by the mature way his godfather was handling the whole thing. But of course Sirius wouldn’t be Sirius if he'd pass up on the chance to make his godson squirm.</p><p>“I guess you also wouldn’t want to see my memories of shagging Moony. Though you could probably learn a lot from those.”</p><p>“Sirius!”</p><p> ***</p><p>The next evening found all of them gathered in the living room again. Remus had chosen this room for the ritual because of its size and also because it was the central point of the house. The couch, chairs and coffee table had been pushed to the side, the rugs rolled up and stored away. Remus and Hermione had spent about an hour drawing strange runes and symbols onto the now bare hardwood floor, creating the circle for the ritual.</p><p>Harry was nearly vibrating with nervous energy. Upon Remus’ request, Draco and him hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. Not that it had been hard. Harry’s stomach had tied itself into knots and he’d been feeling slightly sick all day. They were both wearing pyjamas, which he’d found pretty strange at first. But Remus had explained that their clothes wouldn’t matter and they might as well be comfortable.</p><p>“Are you ready?” Remus asked finally, once he was satisfied with the preparations.<br/>“Yes.” Draco’s voice sounded firm. He looked perfectly at ease. Harry really envied him for his calmness.<br/>“Yes.” the Gryffindor echoed softly.</p><p>“Okay. Sirius, Ron, Hermione… I know there’s no sense in asking you to leave, but I need to ask you to stay out of the way and be quiet throughout the ritual. Understood?” Remus looked at all of them in turn, waiting for their nods. Hermione and Ron sat down on the couch in the far corner of the room, while Sirius leaned against the wall. Remus turned back to Harry and Draco.</p><p>“All right. Harry, please lie down here on the floor. Good. And Draco, you need to lie down here. No, move a bit closer to Harry, so your arms are touching. Yes, very good. Now I need you both to close your eyes and relax. Take deep breaths. Empty your minds. I know that things might get scary, but try to stay calm and don’t move. You need to trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. … Yes, that’s it. Deep breaths…”</p><p>Harry closed his eyes and forced himself to take deep, even breaths. He tried to push all of his thoughts and fears aside and only concentrate on Remus’ voice, guiding them through some sort of meditation. He felt himself relax, despite the strange situation. The floor beneath him was hard and cold. The only warmth came from Draco next to him. The spot where their arms were touching prickled. Harry had to resist the urge to shift his position.</p><p>Remus’ voice took on a different tone as he finally started murmuring incantations. Harry tried to concentrate on the words, but found that he couldn’t. The voice sounded like it was coming from far away and he couldn’t understand what it was saying. The air around him seemed to be getting colder. The blackness behind his closed eyelids was absolute. He could no longer feel the hard floor beneath himself or Draco’s warmth next to him.</p><p>He couldn’t move. He tried to shift his weight, but his limbs wouldn’t cooperate. He tried opening his eyes, but that didn’t work either. With a start he realized that he couldn’t even feel his body anymore. He started to panic. It felt like he was floating alone in the darkness, leaving himself behind. And he was scared, so scared.</p><p>But before the panic could overwhelm him, there was suddenly another presence. It brushed along his mind, soft like the wings of a butterfly. It felt warm and … safe. Harry tried to reach for that presence and felt it surround him, chasing away the cold. His fear lessened. He started to relax again, happy to sink into the darkness, now that he was no longer alone.</p><p>And pictures exploded behind his closed eyelids. A steady stream of memories, half of them his own and half of them Draco’s, though he could no longer tell them apart.</p><p>He was four and crying himself to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs, after having been punished for something Dudley had done.</p><p>He was cradling his hurting wrist and staring fearfully up at his father, who was towering over him, yelling something about dirty Muggles.</p><p>He was running away from Dudley and his gang, his breathing coming in short, painful gasps. But he knew that if he slowed down they would catch him and beat him up.</p><p>He was six and watching from his hiding spot up at the stairs as his father hit his mother so hard she crashed into a table. Biting down on his fist he tried his best to stay quiet and stifle his sobs.</p><p>He was eight and trying not to cry, while aunt Petunia berated him for burning the eggs and told him that he wouldn't get any food that day.</p><p>He was nine and standing in front of his father’s desk, listening to yet another tirade about what was expected of the Malfoy heir.</p><p>He was eleven and entering Diagon Alley for the very first time, staring around in awe as he followed Hagrid.</p><p>He was eleven and stomping along the Hogwarts Express, trying to bite back angry tears, because Harry Potter had just rebuffed his offer of friendship.</p><p>He was fighting the basilisk down in the chamber of secrets.</p><p>He was hiding at the back of the DADA classroom so he wouldn’t be forced to face the boggart, which would undoubtedly take on the shape of his father.</p><p>He was fourteen and arguing with Ron, who wouldn’t believe that he hadn’t put his name into that bloody goblet.</p><p>He was watching Potter take on the dragon at the Triwizard Tournament and trying in vain to tramp down the worry he felt for his rival.</p><p>He was back in that dark old graveyard and watching helplessly as Voldemort returned.</p><p>He was standing in his father’s study, listening with a growing sense of dread as Lucius explained the dark lord’s plans for him.</p><p>He was kissing Cho Chang underneath the mistletoe in the room of requirement, absently wondering if it was normal for this to feel so bloody awkward or if there was just something wrong with him.</p><p>He was trying to work up the courage to approach his aunt Andromeda and ask for help.</p><p>He was staring at Draco and fighting the urge to kiss him, afraid it would only earn him a punch in the face.</p><p>He was looking at Harry over at the Gryffindor table, fretting that being back at Hogwarts would destroy the fragile bond that had formed between them over the summer.</p><p>He was lying in his bed in Gryffindor tower late at night, with the curtains spelled shut, looking at the ‘manual’ Sirius had given him and imagining trying some of those things with Draco.</p><p>He was staring at Sirius in complete shock, while the older man calmly talked about blowjobs and lubrication spells, not sure if he felt more embarrassed at the topic or grateful for the tips his cousin was giving him.</p><p>He was breaking down in Bathilda Bagshot’s house, reliving Voldemort’s memories, not sure whether he was Voldemort or Harry.</p><p>He was sitting at Harry’s bedside, desperately wishing for the younger boy to wake up and be okay.</p><p>Slowly the stream of memories ebbed away, leaving behind a strangely peaceful feeling. He was floating in the darkness, wrapped up in Draco, without knowing where one ended and the other began. They were one. He was no longer alone. And he was no longer scared.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone, I'm back with the next chapter. First of all a big thanks for the lovely comments on the last one. Sorry that it's another short chapter this time. Hope you'll like it, though.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco opened his eyes groggily. He felt as if he’d played an extremely long and challenging Quidditch match. He shifted slightly and jumped when a shadow fell over him.</p><p>“Hey there, sleeping beauty. Back among the living, I see.” Sirius said with a grin.<br/>Draco groaned at his cousin’s cheerfulness. “How long was I out?”<br/>“Couple of hours. Not as long as Remus predicted actually.”</p><p>Draco sat up slowly, only now realizing that he was lying in his bed. Next to him Harry was still asleep. Someone must have brought them up to their room after the ritual. And speaking of…</p><p>“Did it work? Is the horcrux…?”</p><p>“It’s gone.” Sirius assured. “Well, not gone exactly. We’ve still got no means to destroy the bloody thing. But it’s out of Harry, at least. Remus put it into one of Hermione’s old hairbands. Ridiculous, don’t you think? He said he wanted something mundane, to spite old snakeface. I tried setting it on fire or cutting it to pieces, but it didn’t work. So we wrapped it around the locket for the time being. Best to keep those things together.”</p><p>Draco just nodded, not at all interested in his cousin’s rambling. “And everything went well?” he asked.<br/>“Yeah, according to Moony it all went according to plan. Harry wasn’t hurt, don’t worry.”<br/>“Good.”<br/>“It might take a while until he wakes up. And Remus thinks you’ll both feel exhausted for a couple of days. So you’d better try to get some more sleep.”</p><p>Sleep actually sounded like a pretty brilliant idea. “I’ll do that.” Draco agreed. “I just need to use the loo first.” He swung his legs out of bed, but as soon as he was on his feet, he had to clutch the bedpost for support as a wave of dizziness washed over him.</p><p>Sirius was at his side in a second, reaching out a hand to steady him. “Easy there.”<br/>Draco shook him off. “I’m fine. I just got up too quickly.”<br/>“Yeah, better not take any risks, though. I’m escorting you to the bathroom.”<br/>“You’ll do no such thing! I’m not a little kid.” Draco protested.</p><p>Sirius just grinned. “Never said you were. But you’re not really steady on your feet either.”<br/>“I’m fine.”<br/>“Sure you are.”<br/>“I can manage going to the bathroom on my own.”<br/>“Not a chance. Harry would be extremely cross with me if I let you fall flat on your face. And Remus, too. He might withhold sex to punish me.”</p><p>Draco made a face. “Shouldn’t you rather stay here and watch over Harry?”<br/>“He’ll be fine on his own for a few minutes. He won’t wake up for a while yet.”</p><p>With a resigned sigh Draco gave in. There was just no arguing with Sirius when he'd set his mind on something and he really needed to pee. So he allowed the older man to trail after him as he slowly made his way to the bathroom. At least Sirius had the decency to wait outside. And when he stepped out again Draco was even secretly glad for his presence. It felt as if the short walk had lapped up all his strength. He didn’t even protest when Sirius took hold of his arm to support him. At least he kept his mouth shut as he did so.</p><p>Harry was still asleep when they re-entered the bedroom. Draco crawled back into bed, eternally grateful to be lying down again. Of course Sirius’ surprising restraint didn’t last long. He tucked Draco in like you would a small child.</p><p>“There you go, little dragon. Do you want uncle Sirius to read you a bedtime story?”</p><p>Draco gave him the two-finger-salute and buried beneath the covers, but his obnoxious cousin only laughed.</p><p>***</p><p>When Draco woke up the next time, a couple of hours later, it was to find Harry sitting up against the headboard, sipping a glass of water. Sirius was still there, hovering beside the bed like an overprotective mother. Remus was standing next to him. He smiled at Draco when he realized that the blond was awake.</p><p>“How are you feeling, Draco?”<br/>“I’m fine. Still a bit tired, but not as bad as before.”<br/>“That’s good. I guess you’ll both be feeling the after-effects for a couple of days. Harry more so than you.”</p><p>Draco turned to Harry. “Are you okay?”<br/>“Yeah. Bit tired too, but that’s all.”<br/>“I’ve brought lunch. You should eat something.” Remus prodded.</p><p>Only then did Draco realize that he actually felt ravenous. Harry’s stomach growled as if on cue. They both tucked into their sandwiches eagerly. Once the plates were cleared, Remus asked if they needed anything else.</p><p>“No, I think we’re good.” Draco assured.<br/>“Hmm. Just still tired.” Harry agreed.<br/>“Then we’ll let you get some more rest. Just shout if you need anything, okay?”<br/>“Will do.”</p><p>Remus placed another glass of water for each of them onto the bedside table, before ushering Sirius out of the room. Draco was glad to finally be alone with Harry. But he still hesitated slightly, before turning to face the younger boy.</p><p>“You’re really okay?” he checked again.<br/>“Yes, I’m okay. I actually feel … sort of lighter. Like a weight has been lifted off my chest.”<br/>“I can imagine.”</p><p>“So… I guess we should talk?” Harry asked a after a bout of silence. “I mean, I sort of feel like we don’t really need to. But I guess we have to.”<br/>“I know what you mean. It feels like I really understand you. Like I know you just as well as I know myself now.”<br/>“Yeah, exactly.”<br/>“But you’re right. We should talk about it.”</p><p>“Hmm… It was scary at first. The ritual, I mean.”<br/>“For me too.” Draco admitted. “It felt like… like I was dying.”<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>“Until our souls connected.”<br/>“Is that what it was?”<br/>“I think so.”</p><p>“Sounds pretty romantic, when you put it like that.” Harry mused.<br/>Draco chuckled. “That’s me. Ever so romantic.”<br/>Harry grinned. “I felt safe.” he whispered then. “Sort of… like you were holding me. Protecting me.”<br/>“I guess I was, in a way. Protecting you, I mean. I kept your soul safe during the ritual.”<br/>“Yeah. And my magic.”<br/>“Your magical core.”<br/>“That’s what I meant.”</p><p>Draco hesitated a second. “You wouldn’t have told me the details of what happened in Bathilda’s house.”<br/>It wasn’t a question, but Harry nodded. “It felt too ... strange. Too frightening. I couldn’t talk about it.”<br/>“I understand.”<br/>“But I’m glad you know now.”<br/>“Me too.”</p><p>“It actually feels less scary than I thought it would. Knowing so much about you. And knowing that you know so much about me.” Harry mused.</p><p>“I feel really close to you.” Draco said softly. “I mean, I already did before. I think I’ve never trusted anyone as much as I trust you. My whole life I’ve always tried to keep people away. I built walls around myself, so I wouldn’t get hurt. But you broke down these walls. You saw me for who I am.”</p><p>“I’ve always felt drawn to you. Even back when we still hated each other.” Harry admitted.<br/>“I never really hated you. I was just… hurt. And angry.”<br/>“I know that now. I … I did sort-of hate you. For a while.”<br/>“That’s okay. I gave you every reason to hate me.”</p><p>Harry took a deep breath and looked him directly in the eyes. “But not anymore. I… I love you, Draco.”</p><p>He’d known. Of course he’d known. Thanks to the ritual there really were no more secrets between them. But knowing and actually hearing Harry say the words were two vastly different things. “And I love you, Harry.” he replied softly.</p><p>His words brought a beautiful smile to Harry’s face and Draco was struck with the sudden urge to say more. To say everything. For once he wanted to throw caution to the wind and be as brave and reckless as any Gryffindor.</p><p>“I know it’s probably stupid. We’re only seventeen. Way too young to make decisions like this, but… I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”<br/>Harry’s eyes widened. “Are you… proposing to me?”<br/>Draco blushed, but forced himself to keep looking at his boyfriend. “Not… exactly.” he amended. “I’m merely… stating my intentions.”<br/>“Stating your intentions?” Now Harry was grinning.<br/>“Yes. When I propose it will be a lot more romantic.”<br/>“You said when. Not if.”<br/>“I know.”</p><p>Harry’s smile became softer. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Draco’s for a second. “When you propose, I’m going to say yes.”<br/>“I bloody well hope so.” Draco growled and pulled him into another kiss. This one longer and more passionate.<br/>When he felt Harry stifling a yawn he pulled away reluctantly. “Sorry. You need to rest.”<br/>"I'm fine."<br/>"You're still tired." Draco argued, pulling him down so they were lying side by side. “Let’s get some more sleep.”<br/>“Okay.”</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the lovely reviews. They really made me smile.</p><p>I'm not completely happy with the new chapter, but I wasn't sure what to change and I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer, so I'm posting it today. The next one will be better. And as always, please let me know what you think.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>15.</p><p>Draco recovered from the ritual fairly quickly. Harry did not. He was tired easily and spent most of the next couple of days sleeping. Since he knew how much his boyfriend hated being bedridden, Draco played up his own tiredness and stayed in bed with him. He suspected that Sirius and Remus saw right through him, but they didn’t comment on it. It was actually kind of nice, just lazing around in bed with Harry all day. Sirius poked his head in every now and then (usually accompanied by a lewd comment of some sort) and Ron brought them food, but aside from that they were mostly left alone.</p><p>Therefore Draco was a bit surprised when Hermione showed up in the afternoon. He was not so surprised to see her carrying a book.<br/> “Hey, do you have a minute? I’d like to show you something.” she asked in a hushed tone.<br/>“Sure. What is it?”</p><p>She took a seat at the edge of the mattress, casting a glance in Harry’s direction. But the dark-haired boy slept on, completely oblivious to their visitor. Satisfied that she hadn’t woken him she opened the book and handed it to Draco.</p><p>“This is the copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard that I inherited from Dumbledore.” Draco scowled at the mention of their old headmaster, but Hermione ignored him and went on. “I was wondering if you recognize that symbol here. It’s not a rune. At first I thought it was just part of the picture, but it actually looks like it has been added by hand. I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere before. I just can’t remember where.”</p><p>Draco looked at the picture with a frown, recognizing the sign immediately. “You saw it at Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Luna’s father was wearing it around his neck.”<br/>“Of course! I knew I’d seen it before.”<br/>“According to Viktor Krum it’s Grindelwald’s sign.” Draco let her know.<br/>“Grindelwald’s sign? Are you sure?”<br/>“That’s what Krum said. He seemed pretty sure. He said he’d seen it carved into a wall at Durmstrang.”<br/>“Hmm… strange.”</p><p>“I also saw it somewhere else.” Draco suddenly remembered.<br/>“Really? Where?”<br/>“At the graveyard in Godric’s Hollow. It was on one of the really old headstones. I wondered about that, but I thought maybe Grindelwald had taken a liking to it and decided to use it.”<br/>“Really strange. I wonder if it has a meaning.”<br/>“I have no idea.”<br/>“Mr. Lovegood was wearing it…” Hermione mused.<br/>“He probably thinks it’s something it’s really not. Like the bone structure of a crumple horned snorkack or something equally ridiculous.”</p><p>But Hermione wasn’t really listening any more. She had that contemplative look on her face that told him her mind was miles away. She thanked him and left the room, muttering to herself. Draco shook his head. He really loved that girl dearly – as a friend, of course – but she could be decidedly weird sometimes.</p><p>He didn’t dwell on the conversation and he also saw no need to mention it to Harry, convinced that Hermione would spend the next day poring over history books in search of information on Grindelwald and his sign. He was mistaken. The next morning after breakfast, everyone trooped into their room.</p><p>Harry, who looked more alert and awake today, sat up in alarm. “Did something happen?”<br/>“Nah, not really. Don’t worry, prongslet.” Sirius assured.<br/>“Hermione had an idea we should discuss. And we didn’t want to leave you out.” Remus explained.<br/>“Alright…” Harry said, sitting back against the headboard and looking at Hermione questioningly.</p><p>“Okay, so I had a talk with Draco yesterday. About this sign that I found in the Tales of Beedle the Bard.” she held up the book for emphasis. “It looks like it has been added in by hand and I kept wondering why. Draco said according to Krum it’s the sign that Grindelwald used and that he also saw it on an old headstone in the graveyard of Godric’s Hollow.”</p><p>“You talked to Draco about it?” Harry asked.<br/>“You were asleep. I didn’t think it was important, so I didn’t tell you.” Draco hurried to explain.<br/>“I think it is important.” Hermione insisted. “It must have been added to the book for a reason.”<br/>“Yeah, probably by Dumbledore. Who cares about his reasons?”</p><p>“Draco, the fact that Dumbledore kept things from Harry and made some … heartless plans shouldn’t affect our ability to think logically. He was a brilliant mind and…”<br/>“A brilliant mind who expected Harry to sacrifice himself! And you expect us to just forget that?”<br/>“Yes. No. It’s … he shouldn’t have done that. And I’m still angry at him, too. But it doesn’t mean that everything he did was bad.”</p><p>Draco felt the sudden urge to strangle her. Harry looked like he might actually help. He’d gone very pale and was staring at her in shock. “Hermione he… he kept things from me!” he ground out. “Important things. He sent us on this wild goose chase with only bits and pieces of information, instead of telling us what he knew.”</p><p>“I know. And I’m not trying to make excuses for him. What he did was wrong. He should have just told us what he knew. But he didn’t. For some reason he wanted us to find out on our own. But that doesn’t change the fact that he knew a lot about you-know-who. And about how to defeat him. So shouldn’t we try to use the clues he left us to get as much information as we can?”</p><p>“She has a point.” Remus conceded.<br/>“I guess she does.” Ron agreed.<br/>Sirius just growled low in his throat.</p><p>“So? What exactly do you want to do?” Draco asked.<br/>“I want to visit Mr. Lovegood. He was wearing that sign at the wedding. Maybe he knows more about it.”<br/>“He’s not exactly the most reliable source.”<br/>“But he’s the only source we know of.” Hermione argued.<br/>“And he’s on our side.” Ron added. “He keeps printing stuff about Harry in the Quibbler and telling people to support him.”</p><p>“I think it’s a stupid idea.” Sirius grumbled.<br/>“Yes, you’ve already said so. More than once.” Remus reminded. “But I have to agree with Hermione. It can’t hurt to visit Mr. Lovegood.”<br/>“And if we walk into a trap? Like Godric’s Hollow?” Draco pointed out.<br/>“I don’t think the death eaters expect Harry to turn up at the Lovegood’s.”</p><p>“And Harry won’t be going anyway.” Hermione chimed in.<br/>Harry looked like he wanted to complain, but Remus spoke up before he could get a word out. “She’s right. You’re still recovering.”<br/>“I’m already loads better.”</p><p>“But it’s going to take a few more days until you’re back to full strength. We can use that time. While Draco and Sirius stay here with you, Hermione, Ron and I can pay a visit to Mr. Lovegood. He knows we’re on your side, so he should help us. We’re going to ask a few questions about the symbol and be back before you know it.”</p><p>Harry wasn’t happy about this plan. Neither were Draco and Sirius, though Draco wasn’t sure if his cousin really disagreed with the plan itself or only the fact that Remus expected him to stay behind and play babysitter. But Hermione and Remus wouldn’t be swayed. They had made up their mind and nothing Harry or Draco said could change it. About an hour later Draco watched apprehensively from the window as the three of them went out to the front yard and disapparated from there.</p><p>“They’re making a mistake.” Harry grumbled.<br/>Draco turned and climbed back into bed with him. “I agree.”<br/>“We should have stopped them.”<br/>“We tried. They wouldn’t listen. All we can do now is wait and hope that we’re wrong.”</p><p>Which was easier said than done. Time seemed to drag on endlessly. Draco and Harry tried to occupy themselves with chess and other things, but both couldn’t help glancing at the window every couple of minutes. Sirius alternated between pacing through the house and joining them in their room to complain about being left behind.</p><p>“I should’ve gone with them!” he said time and time again. “I should have Moony’s back. What’s taking them so long? Maybe I should follow them and check?”</p><p>Draco managed to talk him out of it every time, mostly by pointing out that Harry and him were still weakened by the ritual and that he was supposed to stay here and protect them. But he feared they would have to chain him down if the others didn’t return soon. Of course he could relate. If Harry went on a mission without him he’d go nuts as well. Unfortunately that didn’t make it any easier to deal with the irritating animagus.</p><p>They breathed a collective sigh of relief when they finally felt the wards shift, signalling the return of Remus, Hermione and Ron. Sirius bolted from the room to meet them at the door. Like an overeager puppy welcoming his master home, Draco thought snidely. He waited with Harry, straining his ears to catch a snippet of the conversation going on downstairs. He couldn’t understand what was being said, but Sirius sounded less than pleased.</p><p>When the others finally trudged upstairs and into their bedroom a couple of minutes later, Draco gaped in shock. They all looked a little worse for wear. Their clothes were torn and they had scratches and smudges of dirt on their faces.</p><p>“What happened?!” Harry asked.<br/>“I was right. It was a stupid idea.” Sirius claimed.<br/>Remus sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it… you guys were indeed right. It was a trap.”<br/>“What happened?”</p><p>“Lovegood called the death eaters on us!” Ron said indignantly.<br/>“He kept us busy until they arrived.” Hermione added.<br/>“But… I thought he was on our side? You said he was on our side.” Draco reminded, glaring at Ron.<br/>“He was.”<br/>“The death eaters kidnapped Luna on her way home for Christmas break. They’re holding her hostage.” Remus explained.</p><p>Tense silence followed his words. Draco couldn’t imagine poor Luna in the hands of death eaters. He only hoped they wouldn’t hurt her too badly.<br/> "How did you get away?” he asked in attempt to take his mind off the terrible images it was conjuring of a tortured Luna.</p><p>“We got suspicious, because of Lovegood’s behaviour.” Remus explained. “He seemed twitchy and nervous, looking out of the window every few minutes. Then we saw the death eaters entering the house. There were four of them, so we didn’t want to engage in an open fight. Luckily Lovegood had provided the perfect distraction for us, without even knowing.”</p><p>“He had an Erumpent horn!” Hermione exlaimed.<br/>Draco's eyebrows shot up. "He had what?!"<br/>"An Erumpent Horn!"<br/>"And... that's bad?" Harry asked. He'd obviously learned nothing during Care of Magical Creatures. Not that Draco could blame him, given Hagrid's rather ... unique way of teaching.</p><p>"Erumpent Horns are Class B Tradeable Material! They can explode at the slightest touch." Hermione explained.<br/>"Hermione warned Mr. Lovegood about the danger, but he wouldn't listen." Remus took over again. "He kept insisting that it wasn't an Erumpent horn, but the horn of a Crumple Horned Snorkack."<br/>"And how exactly did that help you escape?" Harry wanted to know.<br/>"Hermione shot a spell at the horn. It exploded. In the ensuing chaos it was easy enough to disapparate."</p><p>"Sounds like we missed all the fun." Sirius remarked drily. Draco wasn't even sure if he was joking or not. His mad cousin would probably consider a near-run-in with the death eaters and exploding Erumpent horns fun.</p><p>"Did you at least get any information out of Lovegood?" he asked.<br/>Remus shrugged. “Well… he was very talkative. But the things he told us were..”<br/>“Absolute rubbish!” Hermione cut in sharply. “I should have listened to you, Draco.”</p><p>Draco kindly refrained from saying “I told you so.”, while Harry wanted to know what exactly Lovegood had told them about the sign.<br/> “He talked a lot about something he called the Deathly Hallows.” Hermione grumbled. “There's this story. A tale of three brothers...”<br/>“From the tales of Beedle the Bard?” Draco cut in.<br/>“Exactly. He made me read the story and then he claimed it was sort of true.”<br/> “What’s that story about?” Harry asked. “You know that I’ve never heard any wizarding fairy tales.”</p><p>“It's basically a story about trying to cheat death.” Remus explained. “Three brothers get to choose a gift from death. The first brother gets the elder wand, which is said to be unbeatable. But he brags about it and gets murdered in his sleep shortly after. The second brother asks for the power to raise the dead. He receives the resurrection stone, which he uses to bring back his dead girlfriend. But it doesn’t really bring her back to life. She is merely a shadow and he becomes so depressed that he commits suicide in the end. The third brother gets an invisibility cloak. He manages to hide from death all his life and finally dies peacefully of old age.”</p><p>“Mr. Lovegood claimed that those three items – the elder wand, the resurrection stone and the invisibility cloak, or the Deathly Hallows as he called them - really exist and that whoever possessed them would be invincible. The master of death.” Hermione took over again. “Like I said, complete rubbish. It’s just a children’s story.”</p><p>“But you heard what he said about the wand.” Ron argued. “And even Remus agreed with him that there are rumours about famous wands.”<br/>“Ron, that man is completely insane!”<br/>“But what about the cloak? I’ve never given it much thought, but Harry's cloak is really special.”</p><p>“Harry’s cloak is a family heirloom.” Sirius cut in. “He inherited it from James.”<br/>“But it could still be the cloak from the story.” Ron insisted. “That would mean the cloak and the wand are real…”<br/>“You’re grasping at straws.” Hermione snapped. “It’s just a story, Ron.”<br/>“And what if it’s not? The sign in the book was added in by hand. At the beginning of exactly that story. You said so yourself. What if Dumbledore left us these clues, because he wanted us to get the hallows?”</p><p>“Then Dumbledore wasn’t only a secretive, manipulative bastard, but also a senile old fool.” Sirius said harshly.<br/>“I seriously doubt that three mystical items from an old fairy tale are going to help us defeat you-know-who.” Draco agreed with his cousin.<br/>“And I couldn’t care less what Dumbledore wanted us to do.” Harry tacked on.</p><p>Draco was secretly glad that Harry’s anger at the deceased headmaster remained unbroken. He’d been half afraid Harry would forgive the old bastard. But it looked like Dumbledore’s betrayal had hurt him too deeply. Draco knew that he himself would never forgive Dumbledore and it looked as if Harry agreed with him. Ron and Hermione on the other hand were obviously still convinced that Dumbledore had only meant well and that he’d really been the wise, old man most people had seen him as.</p><p>“I guess we can all agree that this trip was a waste of time, right?” Draco tried to end the discussion.<br/>"Yes, it was." Hermione agreed immediately.</p><p>Remus and Sirius nodded. So did Harry. Only Ron still looked unconvinced. But after receiving a nasty glare from Hermione, he didn't voice his doubts aloud again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So... I've been very inspired and managed to get the next chapter done already. Once again my version differs quite a bit from the book, so please let me know what you think. Also there's smut. I hadn't really planned it, but once again the boys had other ideas. And who am I to argue?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry couldn’t sleep. He wasn‘t sure if it was due to the thoughts running through his head or the fact that he’d spent the past couple of days doing little else but sleep. He lay awake, staring at the ceiling and wondering what they were going to do next. Of course he’d known that finding and destroying the rest of the horcruxes would be difficult. But he hadn’t expected it to be so bloody difficult. He hadn’t expected all the sitting around or the useless leads. It made his anger at Dumbledore even worse. The old headmaster had forced this task upon him, without ever warning Harry what he was getting into.</p><p>With a sigh he got out of bed, careful not to wake Draco. After putting on his glasses and slippers he padded over to the window and looked out into the night. His thoughts drifted to Luna, in the hands of the death eaters. He hoped she was faring okay. Knowing Luna she was probably driving them mad with her talk of Nargles. The thought brought a small smile to his face, but it fell quickly. What if they were hurting her? And how many more of his friends had been captured? Or worse.</p><p>Voldemort’s power was growing steadily, which meant that they rarely heard any news of the outside world. It was too dangerous to contact other members of the Order.  Most of them had gone into hiding as well. Harry knew that the Weasley's were all in hiding, just like Tonks and her family. And they'd heard rumours that Hagrid had fled to the mountains, after the death eaters had tried to capture him.</p><p>He was just debating whether he should return to bed or sneak downstairs for a cup of tea when something down in the garden caught his eye. It was too dark outside to see much, but he could have sworn he’d seen something glinting in the moonlight. He peered down and yes, there it was again. Something was reflecting the moonlight, though he had no idea what. He tried to shrug it off. It was probably just a rusty shovel or some other old garden tool. The garden looked even worse than the inside of the Cottage, full of overgrown hedges and other wild plants.</p><p>But his curiosity was piqued. It couldn’t hurt to have a look, could it? The garden was inside the wards. If there should be anyone around, which was highly unlikely given the remote location of Fern Cottage and the late hour, they wouldn’t be able to see Harry. And he’d only take a peek, before coming back inside. He’d been cooped up in his room for days. Some fresh air suddenly sounded like a brilliant idea.</p><p>Casting a nervous glance at Draco, who slept on, completely oblivious, Harry grabbed his wand off the bedside table. Then he crept to the door and slipped out into the hallway. The house was silent as he slowly made his way down the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. He stopped for a second once he reached the bottom of the stairs. He could hear the low murmur of voices from the direction of Sirius’ and Remus’ bedroom, indicating that the two men were awake. Harry considered knocking on their door and telling them what he’d seen in the garden, but dismissed the idea almost immediately. If it was indeed just some old garden tool he didn’t want to disturb them.</p><p>He quietly made his way to the front door and went out without hesitation. It was very dark outside and he had to take a moment to orientate himself. Once he was sure he was going in the right direction, he had to fight his way through patches of vines and overgrown bushes. He scratched his arm on a thorny bush and nearly fell twice when his foot snagged on a root. And he could see nothing but bushes, weeds and what looked like it might once have been a sun-chair. Cursing silently he was just about to turn around and head back inside when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. There it was – the strange glint that had drawn him out here.</p><p>Slowly he crept closer, pushing aside branches and weeds, until he reached the spot. And then he just stood there for a moment, gaping in astonishment. Because there, lying at his feet, half-buried beneath dirt and ivy, was the sword of Gryffindor. He looked around cautiously, afraid someone might be watching him. But the night was silent, aside from the usual sounds of owls and other animals in the nearby forest. Harry took a deep breath and bent down. He almost expected the sword to vanish, but it didn’t. His fingers closed around the hilt and when he gave a tug it slid free easily.</p><p>“Who’s there?!”</p><p>Harry jumped in shock and whirled around. To find Sirius standing in the open doorway, dressed in nothing but a pair of bright red boxer-shorts and pointing his wand at him.</p><p>“Harry?!”<br/>“Err…. Yeah. Hi, Sirius.”<br/>“What the fuck are you doing out in the garden? It’s barely two in the morning!”<br/>“I found the sword of Gryffindor.”<br/>“You… what?”<br/>“I found the sword. Look.”</p><p> Remus appeared behind Sirius. He’d at least had the decency to put on a bathrobe.<br/>“Be quiet, Sirius. You’re waking the whole house.” he admonished. “And you’d better come back inside, Harry.”</p><p> ***</p><p>As it turned out Remus needn’t have worried about waking anyone. When Harry had fought his way back through the bushes, Draco was just coming down the stairs. He’d woken up to find Harry missing and when he hadn’t returned after five minutes, the blond had gone looking for him. He was closely followed by Hermione, who had heard the stairs creaking and wondered who was creeping through the house in the dead of night. With a resigned sigh Remus sent her back upstairs to wake Ron.</p><p>“No sense in going back to bed now. I guess we’d better discuss this new development straight away.” he said. “Harry, Draco let’s wait in the living room. Sirius, go and put some clothes on.”</p><p>Sirius rolled his eyes, but complied wordlessly for once. He returned a few minutes later, now wearing pyjama pants and a worn old t-shirt. Another few minutes later Hermione came back downstairs with a grumbling Ron in tow.</p><p>“What’s so bloody important that you had to drag me out of bed?” he complained.<br/>“Harry found the sword of Gryffindor.” Remus explained.<br/>“Really?”</p><p>All eyes turned to Harry, who held up the sword. “It was in the garden.”<br/>“You’re joking?”<br/>“No, really. I saw something glinting when I looked out the window. So I went down and there it was.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t leave the house at night. Especially not alone.” Remus reprimanded.<br/>“Sorry. But I was just out in the garden. Inside the wards.”<br/>“Still… you should have come to us first.”<br/>“I didn’t want to bother you for nothing. I thought maybe it was just a rusty shovel or something.”<br/>“And you still went to investigate.” Draco said resignedly, muttering something under his breath, which sounded suspiciously like “Gryffindor.”</p><p>“But… how did the sword get there?” Ron wanted to know.<br/>“I have no idea.” Harry had to admit.<br/>“Do you think… it was there all the time?”<br/>“Can’t have been. We would have found it earlier.” Sirius reasoned. “Moony and I did a rough sweep of the grounds before we moved in.”<br/>“Yes, I’m sure we would have noticed it.” Remus agreed.</p><p>“Well… Dumbledore once said the sword will come to any worthy Gryffindor in times of need. Harry drew it out of the Sorting Hat when he was fighting the basilisk.” Hermione remembered.</p><p>Harry scowled at the mention of Dumbledore, but couldn’t disagree.</p><p>“You think the sword just magically appeared in the garden?” Draco asked doubtfully.<br/>“Why not? We need it to destroy the horcruxes. And it has already come to Harry once.”<br/>“But why now? We had a horcrux in our possession for months. We’ve needed it this whole time.”<br/>“I don’t know. I have no idea how this works.” Hermione had to admit.</p><p>“Did you see anyone outside, Harry?” Remus cut in.<br/>“No. There was no-one.”<br/>“Are you sure?”<br/>“Yes, I’m sure. And it was inside the wards. I mean, no-one could have entered them, right?”<br/>“You’re right. And even if someone did, we would have noticed.”<br/>“Why are we even discussing this?” Ron wondered. “We finally got the sword. We can destroy the horcruxes. Who cares where it came from?”</p><p>Draco and Hermione looked like they did care where it had come from. Remus seemed concerned as well. But they all had to agree that they probably wouldn’t be able to solve that mystery any time soon.</p><p>“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get rid of those bloody horcruxes.” Sirius demanded.<br/>“Now? It’s the middle of the night.” Remus reminded.<br/>“So? We’re all awake. No time like the present.”</p><p>“He’s right. The sooner we destroy them, the better.” Harry agreed. He privately thought that if the sword could just magically appear, then it could just as well disappear again. He didn’t want to take any risks.</p><p>“Alright.” Remus gave in, reaching up to slip the chain around his neck. Harry hadn’t even known that the others had started wearing the horcrux again. He saw Remus pluck a faded pink hairband from around the locket and couldn’t help but grin. Knowing that a piece of Voldemort’s soul was caught inside an old hairband was sort of funny. He imagined Voldemort’s face if he ever found out and had to supress a chuckle. Remus put the hairband on the coffee table and kept the locket in his hand for now.</p><p>“So.. who wants to do the honours? Harry?” Sirius asked.</p><p>Harry stared at the hairband again, only now fully realizing that this was the horcrux that had been inside him before. Suddenly it didn’t seem so funny anymore. He looked around at the others. Most of them were looking at him expectantly. Only Draco was staring at the hairband with a strange expression.</p><p>“I think Draco should do it.”<br/>The blond looked at him in shock. “Me? Why me?”<br/>“I’m not sure. Just a feeling.”<br/>“But… I’m not even a Gryffindor.”<br/>Harry held out the sword to him. “Doesn’t matter.”</p><p>Draco looked to the others for help, but no-one objected. Hesitantly he reached out to take the sword. Despite his confident words, Harry held his breath. Nothing happened. Realizing that it wouldn’t vanish or burn him or something, Draco gripped the hilt with both hands. He stepped up to the coffee table, a determined expression on his face. But as soon as he started lifting the sword, greyish smoke rose up from the hairband, forming a slender figure.</p><p>They all stumbled away from the table, staring at the image of Narcissa Malfoy. Only this wasn’t the woman Harry remembered. She was extremely thin and covered in bruises.</p><p>“You’ve abandoned me!” she cried. “You’ve left me alone with that monster, to take the brunt of his wrath. How could you do this to me, Draco? How could you leave me with him?”</p><p> Draco stared at the distorted image of his mother in shock. “No, I didn’t…”<br/>“It’s not real, Draco. The horcrux is trying to trick you.” Remus warned.<br/>“Your mother would never blame you.” Harry added. He was sure of that. He’d read her letters to Draco.<br/>The blond’s eyes found his. “She loves me. She’s proud of me.”<br/>“Yes, she is.”</p><p>Sensing that it was getting nowhere, the horcrux changed tactics. The smokey shape turned into Lucius Malfoy instead. Tall and intimidating the figure glowered down on Draco. “You’re a disappointment! You’ve always been weak. Do you think these people really care about you? They will turn their backs on you as soon as you’re no longer needed. You’ve never been good enough for anyone. Potter is no different. He will leave you and you will be all alone!”</p><p>Harry was about to protest, to assure Draco that he loved him, when Draco suddenly swung the sword. There was a sound like a scream and a loud crash. The smoke figure vanished. The hairband lay on the table, neatly sliced in half.</p><p>“Shows what you know, arsehole!” Draco growled.</p><p>For a moment there was silence. Then Sirius started clapping and jumping wildly up and down. “Whohoo! Nicely done, baby cousin!”<br/>Everyone laughed and the tension was broken.<br/>Draco rolled his eyes. Harry could see that he was more shaken up than he wanted to admit. “Well, that was fun. But someone else can do the next one.”</p><p>“I’ll do it.” Ron piped up, surprising everyone.<br/>“Are you sure?” Remus checked.<br/>“Yes. I can handle it.”<br/>“Okay. If no-one has objections…”</p><p>No-one did. Draco handed the sword to Ron, obviously glad to be rid of it. Remus placed the locket on the table and they all took a step back again. Ron gripped the sword so tightly his knuckles turned white. Despite his words he’d gone very pale. But he took a deep breath, raised the sword and…</p><p>Smoke rose from the locket, solidifying into an image of Hermione. She looked more beautiful than she ever had in real life. But at the same time cold and distant. Her voice was cruel as she laughed at Ron. "Poor little Ronald ... least loved, always. Who could look at you, who would ever look at you, beside Harry Potter? What are you, compared with the boy who lived? Compared with Viktor Krum? What woman would ever choose you?"</p><p>With a scream of pure rage Ron swung the sword. Again there was a sound like a scream, a big bang and the smoke figure vanished. The locket had been shattered to pieces. Ron stood there, panting and trembling. The sword fell out of his hands and clattered to the ground. Suddenly Hermione let out a choked sob and threw herself into his arms.</p><p>“Oh Ron! I would never… I don’t care about Harry. Well, not like that at least. Or Krum or anyone else. Just you. It’s always been you!”</p><p>Ron wrapped his arms around her and they started kissing, completely unaware of their audience. Harry blushed and looked away discreetly. Sirius of course had no such qualms. He started clapping and wolf whistling, which earned him a shove from Remus. But it also made Ron and Hermione remember where they were. They let go of each other, albeit reluctantly. Hermione looked very embarrassed. Ron on the other hand couldn’t stop grinning.</p><p>“About bloody time.” Draco commented drily.<br/>“Yeah.” Harry agreed.</p><p>Remus tried unsuccessfully to stifle a smile. “Well, this was a very eventful night. I suggest we go back to bed and try to get some more sleep. What do you say?”<br/>“Bed sounds like a good idea. Wouldn’t you agree, Ronald?” Sirius said, giving Ron a lewd grin.<br/>Ron went beet-red and Remus shook his head with a sigh.<br/>“Stop harassing the kids or I’ll make you sleep on the couch, Padfoot.”<br/>“You wouldn’t dare.”<br/>“Oh, believe me, I would.”<br/>“But Moony…”</p><p>The two men continued to bicker as they walked towards their bedroom. Harry grabbed Draco’s hand and dragged him up the stairs, wanting to give his two best friends some privacy.</p><p>“It really was about bloody time, don’t you think?” Draco asked once they were back in their bedroom.<br/>“Yes, it was. I really hope they get their shit together now.”<br/>“Knowing Ron? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”<br/>"Yeah."</p><p>They were quiet for a moment, before Draco mused. "So... we really got rid of those bloody horcruxes, huh?"<br/>"I almost can't believe it."<br/>"Why did you want me to destroy the first one?"</p><p>Harry shrugged. "I'm not really sure. It just felt right. I mean, after the ritual and everything ... I just had a feeling that you should be the one to destroy the piece of him that's been in me."</p><p>"I would have thought you'd want to do it yourself."<br/>"I already destroyed the diary. I think one horcrux is enough."<br/>"I can definitely agree on that one."<br/>"What the horcrux showed you... you know that were only lies, right?" Harry checked.</p><p>"Yes, I know." Draco assured. "It was trying to use my fears against me. The worry for my mother and how my father always made me feel worthless... I understand that. And it obviously didn't work. I was just ... surprised at first. I wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. Though I probably should have known that destroying those bloody things wouldn't be easy."</p><p>"I should have warned you. But I didn't really know what to expect either. I thought it was just the diary, because he'd been feeding off Ginny's energy back then."<br/>"It's okay. No need to fret over it now. They're destroyed, that's all that matters." Draco ended the discussion.<br/>"You're right."<br/>"Of course I am. I'm always right."</p><p>Harry snorted. Draco grinned at him, took off his shoes and crawled into bed. Harry cast two quick spells at the door before joining him.</p><p>The blond looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Locking and silencing charms? Why, Harry... are you planning to seduce me?”<br/>Harry blushed. He had cast the charms without thinking. But now that Draco had mentioned it… “And if I was?”<br/>Draco’s cheeks took on a rosy hue as well. But he didn't break eye-contact. “I guess I might let you.”</p><p>Harry’s heart started beating faster. Since that time they had showered together, right after the disastrous events at Godric's Hollow, they hadn't really been intimate again. He’d thought about it. Quite often actually. And even more so since the ritual. Since he knew that Draco was thinking about it, too. That he wanted to touch Harry just as much as Harry wanted to touch him.</p><p>“Think you’ve recovered enough? I wouldn’t want to exhaust you.” Draco claimed teasingly.<br/>“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”<br/>“Yeah? How fine?”<br/>Harry grinned and moved to straddle his lap. “Shall I show you?”</p><p>He was a bit surprised at himself. At both of them actually. In the past their intimate encounters had mostly been tentative and a bit awkward. Both of them scared of doing something wrong or going too far. This playful banter was new. He liked it. He probably had the ritual to thank for that. They understood each other better now. They knew what the other wanted. It made things easier.</p><p>“Show me.” Draco ordered.</p><p>Harry bent down and kissed him. It was unlike the kisses they had shared in the past. This time they didn’t start out slow. The kiss was heated, passionate. Their tongues battled for dominance. Their hands started to roam almost immediately. Draco’s hands found their way under Harry’s t-shirt, stroking the naked skin of his back. Harry groaned into the kiss and moved his hips to rub their groins together. His cock went from half-hard to fully hard in a matter of seconds.</p><p>He started tugging on Draco’s pyjama top. “Off!”</p><p>Draco tried to comply and pull the top over his head, but in his haste he only ended up getting tangled in it. Harry giggled and reached out to help him. When they finally got the top off, Draco’s hair was sticking up in weird angles. “We need to learn a spell for that.” he decided.</p><p>Harry thought he remembered Sirius saying something about a spell like that, but choose not to mention his godfather right now. He didn’t want to ruin the mood. Instead he pulled his own shirt off and resumed kissing Draco. Or tried to, at least.</p><p>But the blond would have none of it. “U-uh… pants off first, Potter. I want to see all of you.”<br/>“I thought I was the one doing the seducing.”<br/>“You’re taking too long. Pants off.”</p><p>Harry tried to take his pyjama pants off without getting up from Draco’s lap. It was more difficult than he’d imagined and he ended up almost kneeing his boyfriend in the groin. Draco complained and pushed him off. Harry, not having expected this, almost toppled off the bed and they both erupted into helpless giggles. By the time they had finally managed to take off the rest of their clothes they were nearly breathless with laughter.</p><p>“You are impossible.” Draco claimed, once his giggles had subsided.<br/>“So are you.” Harry shot back, pushing him back on the bed and moving in to kiss him again.</p><p>This time the blond didn’t protest. He pulled Harry closer and kissed back just as passionately. Their hands started roaming again. Harry shuddered when Draco caressed his buttocks with a feather-light touch, almost as if he wasn’t sure he was allowed. It felt ... good. Harry wanted to take things further tonight. But not quite that far. So he pulled away after a moment and propped himself up on his elbows, so he could look down on Draco.</p><p>“I want… can I … taste you?” he asked hesitantly.</p><p>And just like that the awkwardness was back. He blushed and averted his eyes, unable to look at his boyfriend, choosing instead to stare at a spot somewhere to his right.</p><p>“That… yes…”</p><p>Harry glanced at Draco for a second, just long enough to make sure he meant it, before focusing on his chest. It was a nice chest. Not overly muscular, but not too skinny either. And Draco’s skin was just so pale and perfect. He bent down and started trailing kisses all over that pale skin, starting at Draco’s clavicle and working his way down. Draco was quiet aside from a few gasps and shuddered moans. He tasted of sweat and soap and something else Harry couldn’t name. He thought if he was to drink Amortentia it would probably taste like this.</p><p>Harry stopped when he reached his bellybutton, suddenly nervous again. He felt Draco’s hand in his hair, gently caressing his scalp and dared to look up at him. His breath caught in his throat at the sight. Draco’s hair was a dishevelled mess and sweat dotted his forehead. His lips were kiss-swollen, his pupils so wide his eyes looked nearly black. His chest was rising and falling with each rapid breath. Harry was sure he’d never seen anything more beautiful.</p><p>“You don’t have to.” Draco assured softly.<br/>“I want to.” And he did. He really did.<br/>“Okay.”</p><p>Harry moved a bit further down the bed and propped himself up on his left arm. Then he wrapped his right hand around Draco’s cock and gave it a few slow strokes, fascinated how the blond arched into his touch. Gathering his famous Gryffindor courage he bent down and licked over the head. The taste was a bit weird, but not unpleasant. Draco made a strangled sound, which was all the encouragement Harry needed. Growing bolder he took the tip into his mouth. Draco groaned and thrust upwards, gagging him in the process. Harry had to pull off with a cough.</p><p>"Sorry, I didn't mean to... I wasn't expecting..." the blond stammered.<br/>"S'okay. Just... try to keep still this time, yeah?"<br/>"Okay."</p><p>Taking a deep breath he tried again. He could feel Draco trembling, but aside from that he kept perfectly still. Harry slid his mouth a bit further down and tried rubbing his tongue along the underside. He could only fit about half of Draco's cock into his mouth without choking. His jaw was already starting to ache from the unusual activity. This was a lot harder than he'd anticipated. But the noises Draco made were worth any discomfort.</p><p>Harry wrapped his hand around the base. After a few tries he actually managed to build a fairly good rhythm of stroking and sucking. At least if the cries spilling past Draco's lips were anything to go by.</p><p>"Harry, stop... I'm gonna..."</p><p>Harry pulled his mouth away, but continued to stroke him through his orgasm. Draco collapsed into the cushions and Harry moved back up to lie beside him. "Sorry, I guess that was.." he started to say.</p><p>But Draco cut him off with a kiss. "Bloody amazing!"<br/>Really?"<br/>"Yes, really."<br/>"So... I did alright then?"<br/>"More than alright. Stop fishing for compliments, Potter."</p><p>Harry grinned and kissed him again. He whined in protest when Draco pulled away.<br/>"Your turn." the blond decided, pushing Harry onto his back.<br/>"You don't have to."<br/>Draco rolled his eyes. "I know that I don't have to. But I want to."</p><p>He didn't waste any time. Instead of kissing his way down Harry's body, like Harry had done with him, he simply moved down the bed until he was straddling Harry's legs. Just seeing Draco bent over him like that was nearly enough to send Harry over the edge. He closed his eyes and willed his body to calm down. Suddenly his cock was enveloped by wet heat. His hips flew up automatically, but Draco had obviously anticipated this and was holding him down.</p><p>"Oh god, Draco!"</p><p>Harry gasped for air, little cries and whimpers spilling past his lips as Draco started sucking. It felt incredible. It was too much. Before he really knew what was happening, his orgasm ripped through him with blinding force. He felt Draco pull off and heard him spluttering.</p><p>"A little warning would have been nice."</p><p>Harry forced his eyes open. He felt breathless and a bit light-headed. "Sorry." he said sheepishly. "It all happened so fast."</p><p>Draco wiped his chin with the back of his hand. Then he grabbed his wand from the bedside table and cast a cleaning spell on both of them, before pulling the covers over them and lying down.</p><p>"I guess we'll need a little more practice." he mused.<br/>"Yeah, practice makes perfect, right?"<br/>"Right."</p><p>They glanced at each other and erupted into a new fit of giggles.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy easter everyone! Hope you're having a good time, despite everything. <br/>I'm back with the new chapter. No smut this time, sorry. And we're getting closer to the end. Maybe four or five more chapters, I think.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite Harry’s fears the sword of Gryffindor did not vanish again during the night. It was still lying peacefully on the coffee table, when Draco and he came downstairs for breakfast late next morning. There was a general air of cheerfulness that day. The destruction of the horcruxes had lifted all of their spirits considerably. Ron and Hermione had obviously talked last night and were now acting sickeningly in love. Draco’s words, not Harry’s, though Harry couldn’t actually disagree. Sirius seemed endlessly amused by this, but he kept his teasing comments to a minimum. Harry suspected that he was afraid Remus would actually kick him out of the bedroom if he bothered Ron too much.</p><p>Later that day Remus managed to tune into a programme called “Potterwatch” on the wireless. It was hosted by the Weasley twins and their friend Lee Jordan. They used code-names and you needed a changing password to tune in. Today they were also joined by Kingsley Shacklebolt, who gave a short report about the latest death eater attacks and assured people that Harry was not simply in hiding, but working to bring down you-know-who. Hearing the twins joking around and Kingsley proclaiming his faith in them put the group into an even better mood.</p><p>There was only one more horcrux to find and destroy. Then only the snake would be left. And Voldemort himself. For the first time in months things were starting to look up. Instead of moping around, like they had done during the past couple of days, they all felt the need to do something today. Remus and Hermione ended up in the library again, doing research on Rowena Ravenclaw, in the hope of finding out what exactly Voldemort might have used as the last horcrux. The other four discussed possible hiding places.</p><p>In the evening Harry helped Ron, who was still on kitchen duty, when Ron said out of the blue. “I keep thinking of that stuff Lovegood told us. The deathly hallows.”<br/>“You still think the story’s true?”<br/>“It could be. I mean, I know that Mione’s convinced it’s all a load of crap. But it’s not impossible, is it? There are stories about famous wands. And your cloak is pretty special.”<br/>Harry sighed. “I’ve been thinking about that as well.” he admitted.<br/>“You have?”<br/>“Yeah. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Draco, because he agrees with Hermione. But I couldn’t really get it out of my head.”</p><p>“So… you think it’s worth investigating?” Ron asked eagerly.<br/>Harry hesitated, not really sure how to put his thoughts into words. “No, I don’t think so.”<br/>“But you just said…”<br/>“I know what I said. And I really think there might be some truth to the story.”<br/>“But?”</p><p>“But even if those things are real, they wouldn’t really help us, would they? I mean, it’s not like we can just sneak up on you-know-who with the invisibility cloak and curse him with a powerful wand. It doesn’t work that way.”</p><p>Ron thought about that for a moment. “I guess you’re right. Although an unbeatable wand would give us an advantage.”</p><p>“I don’t think there is such a thing as an unbeatable wand, Ron.” a new voice joined the discussion.<br/>Harry jumped in shock. He hadn’t even noticed Draco entering the kitchen.<br/>“It’s not nice to eavesdrop.” Ron complained.<br/>“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I merely overheard you talking.”<br/>“Because you sneaked up on us. What are you even doing here? You never help with kitchen duty.”</p><p>Draco rolled his eyes. “I had to get away from Sirius. He’s getting bored, so he decided to torture me.”<br/>“What did he do?” Harry wanted to know.<br/>“Let’s just say he asked all kinds of questions and leave it at that.”</p><p>Harry could readily guess what kind of questions they had been. Stuff about their love-life, probably. Or whether Draco needed any sex-tips. His godfather was embarrassing like that. He loved seeing people squirm and he really had no shame.</p><p>“You were talking about Lovegood’s theory, I suppose?” Draco guessed.<br/>“Yes, we were.” No sense in denying it.<br/>“Harry agrees with me that the story could be real.” Ron said.<br/>Harry shot him a glare. “That’s not what I said. I only said there might be some truth in it.”</p><p>To his surprise Draco nodded. “A lot of myths and fairy tales have their origins in true historic events. They only got distorted and embellished over time.”<br/>“Wait, you… actually agree?”</p><p>“I’m not saying I believe that three brothers met death and were gifted with a magical stone and such. That’s plain stupid. But maybe three very skilled wizards invented some powerful objects. And Beedle the Bard used them for his story.”</p><p>“So you think the deathly hallows exist?” Ron asked.</p><p>“Not in the way Lovegood thinks. Like I said, there is no such thing as an unbeatable wand. There are famous wands throughout history, yes. But they didn’t make their owner invincible. And I also don’t believe that there’s a stone that can raise the dead. But there have been wizards who dappled with Necromancy. And we all know that invisibility cloaks exist. Harry’s is probably one of the best ones there is. But that doesn’t mean it was handed to Harry’s ancestor by death.”</p><p>“So what you’re saying is Beedle heard a story of three powerful wizard brothers and turned it into a fairy tale?” Harry surmised.<br/>“Exactly. And then people like Lovegood came along and started spinning a conspiracy theory around it.”<br/>“That makes sense.”<br/>“I guess it does.” Ron admitted grudgingly. “But what about the sign?”</p><p>“Could be a coat of arms. Which would explain why it was engraved on that old headstone in Godric’s Hollow. There are a lot of wizard families who’ve gone extinct in the male line over the years, so their coat of arms have been forgotten. Maybe it actually was the family of the original brothers. Or maybe someone just thought it was. That’s how conspiracy theories work. A lot of half-truths, mixed together to make it sound believable.”</p><p>“Sounds plausible.” Harry agreed.<br/>“Yeah… But an unbeatable wand would’ve still been cool.” Ron mused.<br/>“We’ll have to manage without one, I’m afraid.”<br/>“Doesn’t matter.” Harry decided. “We’re still going to defeat you-know-who. Even if we have to do it with ordinary wands.”<br/>Draco smiled. “That’s the spirit.”</p><p>***</p><p>The next couple of days were mostly spent brainstorming about possible horcrux locations. Remus and Hermione had found no mention of heirlooms that were connected to Rowena Ravenclaw, save for a diadem, which had been lost centuries ago. Long before Voldemort was even born. So they gave up and joined the general discussion.</p><p>Harry kept insisting that Hogwarts would be their best bet, but Remus pointed out that hiding a horcrux in a place like Hogwarts would’ve been impossible. The risk of it being discovered was just too high. The others agreed. After some grumbling from Harry and a few more discussions, they turned their sights to other places that might hold a meaning for Voldemort. In the end they settled on three possible spots.</p><p>The first one was the orphanage where he’d grown up. Harry thought this was the most unlikely of the three. Voldemort had hated the orphanage. He knew that much from the memories Dumbledore had shown him. He hadn’t even wanted to go back there during summer holidays. Why would he hide a piece of his soul in a place like that?</p><p>Second was the grave of his mother, which Harry also found unlikely. Merope Gaunt had died in childbirth. Voldemort had never known her. He probably hated her on principle, for leaving him. Or for falling in love with a muggle. On the other hand she had been a witch and a descendant of Slytherin on top. He had her to thank for his magical blood and for being a parselmouth. She was his connection to the magical world and also to Salazar Slytherin.</p><p>The last spot was the house of Voldemort’s father, Tom Riddle senior. Another unlikely place in Harry’s opinion. Voldemort, the pureblood supremacist, surely wanted nothing to do with his muggle-father. He wouldn’t want anyone to know that his father had been a muggle. But he’d used the house to hide back in Harry’s fourth year. And it was also the place where he’d murdered his father and grandparents, before placing the blame for their deaths on his uncle. He would probably count that as a victory. So maybe he saw the house as a place of triumph? It was also a remote location and the place was completely deserted, so the risk of the horcrux being discovered was relatively slim.</p><p>This time they all agreed that it would be better to split up. Two or three people were less likely to arouse suspicion than six. It also meant they could cover all three places in one day. The orphanage had been demolished many years before and replaced with a towerblock of offices. Remus and Sirius still decided to check it out, before moving on to Merope Gaunt’s grave, which was close by.</p><p>Meanwhile Harry, Draco, Hermione and Ron would search the old Riddle house. It stood on top of a hill, a little outside the village of Little Hangleton, so the locals probably wouldn’t notice anyone creeping around there. And Harry had seen in it one of his visions before the start of fourth year. He knew how to get in and what to expect. After some debate it had also been decided that they would take the sword of Gryffindor with them. Just like the horcrux, they didn’t want to leave it unguarded and Sirius could hardly stroll through Muggle London with a sword in hand. Ron was going to carry it in his rucksack.</p><p>“Alright. We’ll meet back here in a couple of hours. Stay on guard and don’t take any unnecessary risks while you’re out there. Check if the house is empty, before you go inside. If you notice any suspicious activity, you leave immediately. Understood?” Remus ordered, looking at all of them in turn.</p><p>The kids nodded. It would have been easier if they could have used polyjuice again, but they’d drained their supply and obtaining more would’ve been too dangerous. The four of them were counting on the fact that no-one would see them. They would apparate straight into the backyard, which was hidden by plants, as far as Harry remembered. Sirius and Remus, who would have to stroll around in public, had used magic to alter their appearance.</p><p>“Okay then. Good luck and see you soon.”</p><p>They all echoed Remus’ words, before disapparating in pairs. Harry looked around as soon as he landed. Draco’s aim had been perfect. They were standing in the backyard he remembered from his vision, right next to the old gardener’s hut. Hermione and Ron joined them seconds later. It was early afternoon, but the sun was already low in the sky. Harry shivered in the cold February air as he took in his surroundings.</p><p>The house was a dark silhouette against the sky. It was overgrown with ivy and looked even worse than he remembered. Most of the windows were smashed and he could see holes in the roof. The garden was full of weeds and wild plants.</p><p>“Looks like no-one’s been here in the past couple of years.” Hermione commented.<br/>“Yes. Let’s hope it stays that way.” Draco agreed.<br/>“Come on. The back door is over there.” Harry urged.</p><p>They crept to the door, which stood slightly ajar. Hermione cast “Homenum revelio” and they all held their breath. Nothing happened. They were alone. Cautiously Harry wrenched the door open further and stepped inside. Dust and dried leaves littered the floor and there was a steady draft. Dim light filtered in through the windows. It was just enough to make out their surroundings.</p><p>“Should we use a Lumos?” Ron whispered, eying the thick cobwebs on the wall nervously.<br/>“Better not. Someone from the village might see the light and come to investigate.” Harry cautioned.<br/>“Okay.”</p><p>“We should split up.”<br/>“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Harry.” Hermione protested.<br/>“There’s no-one here but us. And we’ll be faster.”<br/>“Harry’s right.” Draco agreed. “The sooner we get this done, the better.”<br/>Ron was still eyeing the cobwebs. “I’m with you on that one.”<br/>“Fine. You go upstairs. Ron and I will take this floor and the cellar. Send a Patronus if you find anything.”</p><p>Harry led the way to the staircase. Draco followed him, grumbling under his breath about Hermione bossing them around. The upper floor looked just as bad. There was a general air of decay and they left footprints in the thick dust. They opened the first door and peered inside. It looked like a sitting room. Heavy drapes had been put over the furniture to protect it from dust, giving off the impression that the room was full of looming figures.</p><p>“Creepy.” Draco murmured.<br/>“You can say that again.”</p><p>They were both whispering, as if afraid to disturb the silence of the house and draw attention to themselves. Even though there was no-one here. Harry wondered if he was being paranoid, but the whole place had a sinister sort of feeling. Almost as if Voldemort’s presence had tainted it somehow. He flinched when Draco pointed his wand into the room and whispered the incantation to detect a horcrux. Remus had taught them the spell, reasoning it would be their best bet, since they had no idea what they were even looking for.</p><p>Both boys held their breath, but no greenish glow appeared. There was no horcrux hidden in this room. They closed the door and went to the next one, repeating the procedure. With the same result. In that manner they moved along the corridor and then upstairs to the top floor. Each room was as bad as the next. Harry found himself throwing nervous glances over his shoulder every few minutes. They both jumped at the slightest sound. The light was quickly fading and they soon had to use Lumos after all. The glowing tips of their wands cast strange shadows on the walls, which did nothing to settle Harry’s nerves.</p><p>“I think that was the last one.” he whispered finally, the relief in his voice evident.<br/>“Thank Merlin! Let’s get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps.”<br/>“Me too.”</p><p>They headed back downstairs, where they met Ron and Hermione in the entrance hall. The two of them looked pale and anxious as well. No-one spoke as they made their way back outside, stopping in front of the hut again and cancelling the Lumos on their wands.</p><p>“Nothing?” Hermione asked in a hushed tone.<br/>Harry shook his head. “No.”<br/>“I suppose we should check the hut and garden as well. Just to be sure.”<br/>“Okay.”</p><p>Harry and Ron had to force the door of the hut open. It was half-overgrown with ivy and the lock was rusted shut. Hermione cast the detection spell, but again there was no greenish glow. They moved around the house next, sticking to the shadows so they wouldn’t be seen and chain-casting the spell at their surroundings. Again nothing.</p><p>“It’s not here.” Ron concluded finally.<br/>“Of course it’s not here.” Harry said, a little harsher than intended. He just couldn’t help it.<br/>Hermione shot him a glare. “No need to snap at us.”<br/>“This was a waste of time.”</p><p>“Maybe Sirius and Remus found it.” Ron said hopefully.<br/>“They won’t.”<br/>“You can’t know that, Harry.” Hermione claimed.<br/>“Of course I can. It was unlikely that he’d hidden it here. The other two places are completely impossible. I’ve told you a thousand times.”<br/>“Oh sorry, I forgot that you’re the expert.” she snapped.</p><p>Ron put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. “Mione…”<br/>But she shook him off. Her temper flared just like Harry’s. All of their nerves were frayed after their venture through the dark and dusty old manor.<br/>“No, Ron. He agreed that all three were possible hiding spots.”<br/>“Yeah, but only because you guys won’t believe me that it’s at Hogwarts!”<br/>“Because it’s not! When will you get it into your thick skull that he can’t have hidden it at Hogwarts?!”</p><p>“Can we please discuss this later? Preferably in a safer place?” Draco asked. Only to be ignored. He rolled his eyes when Harry and Hermione continued to argue without even sparing him a glance.</p><p>“I know him, Hermione! Better than anyone else. I had him in my head! I had a fucking piece of his soul inside me! Hogwarts is the only place that holds enough of a meaning for Vol…”<br/>“Harry, NO!” Draco bellowed.<br/>“…demort!”<br/>“The name’s taboo!” Ron wailed.</p><p>But it was already too late. As soon as Harry had spoken the name, there were cracks of apparition all around them. Draco heard Hermione yelling something that sounded like a jinx and raised his own wand, only to realize that it was no use. They were surrounded by hulking figures and heavily outnumbered. He counted at least seven people. It was too dark to make out more than their silhouettes. His heart sank.</p><p>“Drop your wands and raise your hands. We don’t care who we curse!” a sharp voice ordered.</p><p>Draco glanced at his companions. Harry was doubled over in pain, clutching his face. Even in the dim light Draco could see that something was wrong with it, though he couldn’t tell what exactly.</p><p>“Drop your wands!” the voice ordered again.</p><p>Hermione was the first to comply. The three boys followed her lead. The figures came closer. Draco saw someone snatching up their wands, while another guy pointed a lit wand at them. He heard Hermione stammering out a fake name and couldn’t hold back a gasp when he got a good look at Harry’s face. It was shiny-pink, puffy and so swollen that his features looked completely distorted. He remembered Hermione’s shout earlier and realized that she hadn’t been trying to defend them. She had hit Harry with a stinging hex, so he wouldn’t be as easily recognizable. He admired her quick thinking. Hopefully it would buy them enough time to get out of this.</p><p>The Snatcher obviously believed her lie and turned his attention to Ron, wrestling the rucksack out of his grip and cowing in triumph upon discovering the sword. Draco had to bite back a curse. While two of their captors fought over the sword, another one questioned Harry, who claimed to have been stung and that his name was Vernon Dudley. Draco held his breath, hoping he would get away with it, when suddenly the huge shape of a man appeared next to him. He nearly gagged at the smell of sweat and blood that seemed to cling to the stranger. And then he realized who he was staring at. Fenrir Greyback. And of course Greyback recognized him as well.</p><p>“Well, well… if it isn’t the little Malfoy heir.” the werewolf drawled with a grin.<br/>“What?” one of his companions asked.<br/>“It’s the Malfoy brat. Today’s our lucky day.”<br/>“You think his parents are going to pay for him?”<br/>“I’m sure old Lucius is going to pay a nice sum. And you know what else? Rumour has it little Malfoy here is travelling with Potter.”</p><p>“We got separated a few weeks ago. I have no idea where Harry is now.” Draco claimed.<br/>But he could see that Greyback didn’t believe him. The werewolf was looking at Harry thoughtfully.<br/>“Hmmm… dark hair, glasses … And what’s that on your forehead, ugly? Is that a scar?”</p><p>The other Snatchers grouped around Greyback, trying to get a good look at Harry. One of them said it was him, another one disagreed. The first one pointed out that Ron was obviously a Weasley and that Harry was friends with a Weasley. Yet another one told Greyback to alert Voldemort.</p><p>“We’ll take them to Malfoy Manor.” Greyback decided finally. “He’s using it as headquarters. I’m sure if it is indeed Potter, the dark lord is going to reward us nicely. And even if it’s not… Malfoy’s going to pay us for returning his wayward offspring.”</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone! I'm back with the next chapter. Sorry about the cliffhanger last time. I just couldn't resist. And a big thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a comment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco felt like his inside had been turned to ice. He could see no chance of escape. They would be taken to the manor. His father would surely recognize Harry. They were as good as dead. He didn’t even try to struggle when their captors bound them together, nor when he realized that they already had another prisoner, who turned out to be their former class-mate Dean Thomas.</p><p>He only snapped out of his daze when they reached Malfoy Manor and the Snatchers dragged them in through the gates. It felt strange to be back home. Though he didn’t really view the manor as his home any longer. Fern Cottage was home. Hogwarts was home. Hell, even Grimmauld Place felt more like home than the manor these days.</p><p>His mother was waiting for the group when they reached the hall. Draco saw all the colour drain from her face when she looked at him.</p><p>“We brought back your son. And we think that’s Potter with him.” Greyback told her with an evil grin.<br/>Before she had a chance to reply, Draco’s father swept onto the scene. He fixed Draco with a cold stare.<br/>“So the missing son returns. I hope the dark lord will allow me to punish you personally.”<br/>Draco flinched, but forced himself to meet his father’s eyes defiantly. “And I hope you’ll get what you deserve!” he spat.</p><p>Lucius glared at him and Draco braced himself for a slap, but it didn’t come. His father had turned to scrutinise Harry. “Oh, I will surely get what I deserve, when I hand Harry Potter over to the dark lord. Perhaps he’ll even let you watch while he kills your little friend.”</p><p>There was a commotion somewhere behind them. Draco could hear shouts and bangs, but didn’t dare to take his eyes off his father. With an evil grin Lucius pushed back his sleeve, revealing the dark mark. He would call Voldemort. They were doomed. But just as he was about to touch the mark, Bellatrix appeared at his side, grabbing his wrist.</p><p>“Stop! Don’t touch it! We shall all perish if he comes now!” she screeched.<br/>Lucius tried to wrench his arm out of her grasp, but she clung on tightly. “Let go of me, Bellatrix!”<br/>“Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine.”</p><p>Draco looked on in surprise, wondering what might have gotten into his mad aunt. She was still gripping Lucius’ wrist, while holding the sword of Gryffindor in her other hand.</p><p>“If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed.” she muttered to herself. “But if he finds out… I must… I must know..” She turned back to Lucius and finally let go of his wrist. “The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do.”<br/>“This is my house.” Lucius pointed out. “You do not give orders…”<br/>“Do it! You have no idea of the danger we’re in!” she shrieked. She looked frightening, completely mad.</p><p>Lucius eyed her warily and then obviously decided that it was better not to anger her. “Fine. Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback. I shall deal with my son later.”<br/>“Wait.” Bellatrix said sharply. “All except…” she stared at Draco thoughtfully, before her eyes travelled to Hermione. “All expect for the mudblood.”<br/>“No!” Ron shouted. “You can have me. Take me!”<br/>Bellatrix hit him hard across the face. “If she dies under questioning, I’ll take you next, instead of my dear nephew. One blood traitor is as good as the other in my book.”</p><p>She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle through another door, into a dark passageway and down a steep flight of stairs. At the bottom was a heavy door, which he unlocked with his wand. They were shoved into a dank, musty room and the door slammed shut behind them. Ron immediately started yelling Hermione’s name on top of his lungs. </p><p>“Ron, stop yelling!” Harry ordered. “This won’t help. We need to figure out a way…”<br/>“Hermione! Hermione!”<br/>“Ron, we need to get these ropes off…”<br/>“Harry? Is that you?” a familiar voice came out of the semi-darkness of the cell.<br/>“Luna?”<br/>“Oh, I didn’t want you to get caught.”</p><p>She came closer and Draco looked her up and down in the dim light. “Are you okay, Luna? Did they hurt you?” he checked.<br/>“Don’t worry, Draco. I’m fine.”<br/>“Can you help us get these ropes off?” Harry asked.<br/>“Oh yes, of course. There’s an old nail we use… Just a moment.”</p><p>She retreated further back into the cell and Draco heard her shuffling around. It looked as if there was another prisoner, but the cell was too dark to make out more than a shadow. Suddenly Luna was back. “You’ll need to stay still.” she warned, before she started working on the knots. Finally the ropes fell away and they could at least move around freely again.</p><p>Draco flinched when they heard Hermione screaming in the hall above. Ron started yelling her name again, running around the cell uselessly. He nearly bowled over the other prisoner, who turned out to be Mr. Ollivander. </p><p>“How do we get out of here?” Harry asked. Draco noticed that the spell was already wearing off and his face looked almost normal again.<br/>“There is no way out.” Luna said softly. “We tried. The cellar is completely escape proof. Mr. Ollivander’s been here a long time. He tried everything.”<br/>“Draco, can’t you get us out?”<br/>“I was disinherited, Harry. The wards don’t recognize me anymore. I felt it when they brought us in.”<br/>“There has to be a way…”</p><p>Draco looked around the cell in despair. He’d only been down here once before, when he’d still been a little kid, exploring the manor. If there was a way out, he didn’t know. But he doubted it. They wouldn’t want their prisoners escaping. Especially not Harry. His father would have made sure that they couldn’t get out.</p><p>He flinched when he heard Hermione screaming in pain again. Ron continued running around in panic, hitting the bare stones with his fists. Bellatrix was yelling at Hermione, asking about the sword again and again.</p><p>“Snape sent this to my private vault at Gringotts! How did you get it? Did you break into my vault?!” she screeched.<br/>“No, please… We found it…” Hermione sobbed.<br/>“You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!”<br/>"No, we haven't... AHHH!"<br/>“I don’t believe you! What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth!"<br/>"Nothing, I swear!"<br/>"You are lying, filthy mudblood, and I know it! Crucio!"</p><p>Hermione screamed again. So did Ron. And Draco had a sudden moment of clarity. “Kreacher!”<br/>Harry jumped in shock. “Kreacher? Where?”<br/>“No, I mean you need to call for Kreacher. He can get us out of here! The wards don’t hold back house elves.”<br/>“You’re a genius! Kreacher!”</p><p>The elf appeared with a loud crack. “Master Harry called for Kreacher?”<br/>“Yes, yes I did. Can you apparate us out of here? All of us?”<br/>“Kreacher certainly can.”<br/>“Great. Take Luna, Mr. Olivander and Dean first. Take them…”</p><p>“To Shell Cottage.” Ron chimed in, having finally calmed down somewhat now that they had the start of a plan. “That’s Bill and Fleur’s place. They’ll be safe there.”<br/>“Okay. Take them to Shell Cottage. And then come back for us. Can you do that?”<br/>“Kreacher can.”</p><p>“No, Harry. We’ll stay and help.” Luna argued. Dean nodded.<br/>“We’ll manage. Let him take you to safety. Tell Ron’s brother what happened. He’s going to help you.”<br/>“And what about you?” Dean asked.<br/>“We’ll rescue Hermione.”<br/>“And then you're going to follow us?”<br/>“No. We’ve got somewhere else to be. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”</p><p>They were still reluctant, but finally allowed Kreacher to take them away. Unfortunately the crack as he disapparated was loud enough to be heard during a sudden, quiet moment upstairs. Lucius got suspicious and sent Wormtail down to investigate the noise.</p><p>“We’ll have to attack him when he comes in.” Harry whispered frantically.</p><p>“Stand back!” Wormtail ordered from just outside the door. His voice sounded less than sure, which gave Draco some hope. If they could overpower him…</p><p>The door opened and Wormtail took a cautious step into the cell. Immediately Harry and Ron tackled him to the ground. Harry clamped a hand over his mouth, while Ron restrained his wand arm. Draco watched stupidly as the three wrestled on the ground.</p><p>“What is it, Wormtail?” Lucius’ voice could be heard from upstairs.<br/>“Nothing. All clear.” Ron called in a passable imitation of Wormtail’s voice.</p><p>Draco finally shook himself out of his stupor and ripped the wand out of his hand. “Stupefy!” Wormtail slumped unconscious. Harry and Ron got up and Draco pointed the wand at Wormtail again, gagging and binding him for good measure. They crept out of the cell just as Kreacher returned.</p><p>“Does master Harry wish for Kreacher to take him away, now?”<br/>“Not yet, Kreacher. We need to get Hermione first. And our wands. Then you can take us back to Fern Cottage.”<br/>“What does master Harry want Kreacher to do?”<br/>“Err.. get our wands. But make sure they don’t catch you. And when I call for you, you’ll need to apparate us out. Understood?”<br/>“Kreacher will fetch the wands and wait for master Harry’s command.”</p><p>Draco led the way as they hurried upstairs. They burst into the ballroom just as Hermione screamed again. Draco pointed Wormtail’s wand at Bellatrix and yelled "Expelliarmus!". Harry caught her wand, whirled around and shot a stunning spell at Lucius, who was too shocked to react. The spell hit him right in the chest and he crumbled to the ground. </p><p>Greyback reacted faster. He pulled out his own wand and started firing curses, forcing them to block or dive behind furniture. There was a crack as Kreacher apparated across the hall to grab their wands from a table. Another crack and he appeared beside Harry. Without missing a beat Harry took all four wands and pointed them at Greyback. “Stupefy!” The force of the combined spell catapulted the werewolf across half the room.</p><p>“Drop your wands!” Bellatrix screeched.<br/>Draco whirled around to find her holding a knife against Hermione’s throat.<br/>“Drop your wands or we’ll find out just how dirty her blood really is!”</p><p>Draco cursed and was about to comply, when Kreacher snapped his fingers. The knife disappeared from Bellatrix’ hand an landed with a clatter on the other side of the hall. “Miss Bella will not harm master Harry’s mudblood.” the elf declared importantly.</p><p>For a moment everyone seemed frozen in shock, staring at Kreacher. But then a grinding noise made them look up at the ceiling. The chandelier right above Bellatrix was trembling. And sitting on top of it was…</p><p>“Dobby?” Harry asked, completely bewildered.<br/>“Dobby has come to rescue Harry Potter.” the elf squealed.</p><p>Bellatrix was completely livid. “You dirty, little monkey! Get down from there! Cissy, do something! Kill these bloody elves!”</p><p>Narcissa was standing in the far corner of the room. She was pale and shaking and she couldn’t take her eyes off her son. Draco stared back at her helplessly. And therefore almost missed the fact that his father was stirring. He startled when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but it was already too late. With a look of triumph on his face Lucius pressed his finger to his dark mark.</p><p>A loud noise made him look back up to the chandelier. Just in time to see it come crashing down. Bellatrix screeched and tried to dive out of harm's way. Ron sprinted across the room and pulled Hermione into his arms. The chandelier shattered on the marble floor in an explosion of crystal and chains. Shards flew everywhere. Draco felt one grazing his cheek, rousing him from his stupor.</p><p>“Dobby, get Ron and Hermione out! Kreacher now!” Harry yelled.</p><p>Draco felt Harry’s hand close around his, just as Kreacher grabbed his master. With a crack the room around them vanished. The last thing he saw was his mother’s face. There was a bloody gash on her forehead, but she was smiling.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for the lovely reviews. And I've already got the next chapter done. Go me ;)<br/>I've also planned the last few chapters. There will be 22 total and probably an epilogue. So just a few more to go...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They landed in the middle of the living room at Fern Cottage. Harry stumbled and fell to his knees. Sirius was at his side in an instant, helping him back up and looking at him with wide, worried eyes.</p><p>“You’re bleeding! What happened? Were you attacked? Where are Ron and Hermione?”<br/>Harry looked around frantically. “They’re not here?!”</p><p>Before he could panic there was another loud crack and Dobby appeared with Ron, who was carrying an unconscious Hermione. She looked horribly pale, had various cuts and scratches all over her face and blood was dripping from her arm. Ron looked pretty scratched up as well. They had both been very close when the chandelier had come down.</p><p>Harry was eternally grateful for Remus in that moment. The werewolf, as always, kept a level head. He assessed the situation with one look and sprang into action immediately.<br/>“Put her down on the couch, Ron. Sirius, get me the potions kit. Quick.”</p><p>Sirius raced from the room and Ron gently laid Hermione down on the couch. Remus bent over her, checking her injuries. “What exactly happened?” he asked calmly.<br/>Ron seemed unable to answer, so Harry did. “She was tortured by Bellatrix. With a knife, I think… and … Cruciatus.”</p><p>Remus nodded. He accepted the potions kit from Sirius and set about treating Hermione’s wounds. There were deep cuts on her arm, but the werewolf assured them that those weren’t life threatening. She woke up when he put dittany on the wounds, jerking out of his grasp with a pained whimper.</p><p>“Shh… it’s okay, Hermione. You’re safe now.” Remus said softly.<br/>She relaxed back down and he asked her a few questions, which she answered haltingly.<br/>“Very good. Rest now. You’ll be fine.”<br/>“I can take her upstairs.” Ron offered. He hadn’t moved from his spot right next to the couch and hadn’t taken his eyes off Hermione for a second.<br/>“That’s a good idea. Let me just treat your injuries first.” Remus insisted.</p><p>Once the cuts on Ron’s face and arms had been healed, he carried Hermione upstairs. Remus turned to his attention to Harry and Draco. They had both sustained a few cuts as well, but nothing serious. Harry still winced when the dittany was applied to his split lip.</p><p>“Does master Harry require anything else from Kreacher?” the old elf suddenly spoke up.<br/>Harry hadn’t even noticed that he was still standing in a corner. Dobby had taken a seat on the floor and was watching the proceedings with drooping ears.<br/>“No, Kreacher. You can go back to Grimmauld Place if you like. Thank you for your help. You did great tonight.”<br/>“Thank you, master Harry.” Kreacher said politely, before disapparating.</p><p>“And you were a big help as well, Dobby.” Harry assured. “How did you even know we needed your help? And where you’d find us?”<br/>“Mistress Narcissa called for Dobby. So Dobby came to rescue Harry Potter.”<br/>Draco made a choked noise. “Mother sent you?”<br/>“Mistress Narcissa said Harry Potter and young master be needing help.”<br/>“Thank you for helping us. You can go, too. If you want.” Harry said.<br/>“Dobby will be going back to Hogwarts. But if Harry Potter be needing help again, he just be calling Dobby.”<br/>“I will. Thank you.”</p><p>“Can someone finally tell me what the hell happened?” Sirius demanded.</p><p>Harry slumped down on the couch and started explaining. About the old Riddle house and arguing with Hermione, about the Snatchers and what had happened at Malfoy Manor. “It was all my fault.” he ended dejectedly.</p><p>Draco, who had taken a seat next to him, grabbed his hand. “Don’t blame yourself.”<br/>“But I am to blame. I said his name. I got us into this mess. Hermione got tortured because I was careless.”<br/>“It’s not your fault, Harry. I think it was only a matter of time until one of us slipped up and said the name.”<br/>“You would’ve never slipped up.”<br/>“Maybe not. But unlike you I was afraid of saying his name for a long time. You’ve used it since you were eleven.”</p><p>“Draco is right.” Remus cut in. “It could have happened to all of us.”<br/>“I had a few near slip-ups in the last couple of weeks, too.” Sirius claimed.<br/>“Really?” Harry didn’t quite believe it. His godfather only said that to make him feel better.<br/>But Remus nodded. “Once or twice I had to clamp my hand over his mouth to shut him up at the last second.”</p><p>“See? No-one blames you.” Draco said softly.<br/>“But Hermione…”<br/>“Will be fine.” Remus assured. “She’s tougher than all of you boys combined.”</p><p>“She definitely is.” Ron agreed, coming down the stairs. “She’s already bossing me around again.”<br/>Draco smiled. “Did she sent you down here?”<br/>“Yeah. She ordered me to tell Harry to stop beating himself up over  it. She knows you too well, mate.”<br/>“It was my fault we got captured.” Harry pointed out.<br/>“It was an accident. And she goaded you into that argument. We all know how she gets.”<br/>“So she’s not… mad at me?”<br/>“Of course not. Don’t be stupid. This is Hermione we’re talking about. She couldn’t stay mad at one of us if she wanted to.”</p><p>Harry couldn’t help but smile. Ron was right about that one. No matter how much Hermione liked to grumble and complain about them, she could never stay mad for long.</p><p>“So, are you done beating yourself up?” Ron asked.<br/>“I guess.”<br/>“Good. She’s sleeping now, but I thought she’d like a cup of tea and something to eat when she wakes up.”</p><p>Ron disappeared into the kitchen and Harry finally relaxed a little. He still felt guilty. And he would no doubt continue to feel guilty. No matter what the others said, the capture had been his fault. But he also realized that fretting over it would get him nowhere. He had to accept what had happened and move on. At least they’d made it out of there with only minor injuries. And they’d managed to free Luna, Dean and Mr. Ollivander in the process. So the whole thing had at least been good for something.</p><p>He looked over at Draco, noticing the frown on his face. “Are you worried about your mum?”<br/>“A bit.” the blond admitted. “She didn’t help us openly, but she also didn’t do anything to stop us. I just hope father doesn’t try to put the blame for our escape on her.”<br/>“You think … Bellatrix might hurt her?”<br/>“I wasn’t thinking of Bellatrix. I was thinking of … you-know-who. Right before we escaped, father alerted him.”</p><p>“Good thing you got away on time.” Sirius commented.<br/>“Yeah, but we lost the sword.” Harry remembered suddenly.<br/>“And Bellatrix got suspicious.” Draco added.<br/>“Suspicious?”<br/>“Because of the sword. It was supposed to be locked in her vault at Gringotts. That’s why she tortured Hermione. To find out if we’d broken into her vault. And if we took anything else.”</p><p>“The horcrux.” Sirius guessed.<br/>“Yeah. She might realize it’s gone.”<br/>“And if she tells V… you-know-who…” Harry took over, correcting himself at the last moment, before stupidly blurting the name again.<br/>“He’s going to know we’re after his horcruxes.” Draco finished.</p><p>“Maybe she doesn’t tell him.” Harry said hopefully. “I mean, she’d have to admit that she lost his horcrux.”<br/>“Yeah, her master wouldn’t be too pleased with her.” Sirius agreed.<br/>“But she’s completely devoted to him.” Draco reminded.<br/>“And completely bonkers.” Sirius added under his breath.<br/>“I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens.” Remus ended the discussion. “There’s nothing we can do at the moment.”</p><p>They all had to agree with him, even if no-one particularly liked it. Harry was just about to suggest that they should go to bed, when suddenly something small and silvery glided in through the window. A patronus. Before he had a chance to wonder who had a dove as a patronus, it opened its beak and began speaking in the voice of Narcissa Malfoy.</p><p>“The dark lord is furious. Bellatrix admitted that her vault might have been invaded. He killed a couple of goblins, tortured Greyback and your father… I have never seen him in such a rage. He ordered all of his followers to ready themselves for a fight and wait for his command. He has now gone to check something. I could hear him muttering about needing to make sure the others were still safe. I do not know what he meant. But I know that he will check Hogwarts last. He warned Severus that you might try to infiltrate the castle.”</p><p>Her voice wavered for a moment, before continuing in a more urgent tone. “I believe the final battle is near. Please be careful, my little dragon. And always remember that I love you. I hope that I will see you soon.”</p><p>The dove vanished and they sat there, staring at the empty space where it had been. Then Harry jumped to his feet.</p><p>“That means the last horcrux is at Hogwarts! I knew it!”<br/>“Yeah, looks like you were right.” Sirius agreed.<br/>“We need to get there before him.”<br/>“Harry, slow down.” Remus intervened.<br/>“He knows we’re hunting horcruxes. Didn’t you hear? He’s going to check the other hiding places. And when he realizes that all of them are gone…”</p><p>“What are we waiting for? Let’s go to Hogwarts.” Sirius decided, ready to run head-first into danger. As always.<br/>“I agree with you. But we need a plan first.” Remus insisted.<br/>“And I guess we should tell Ron and Hermione.” Draco chimed in.<br/>“I’ll go and get them.” the werewolf said, fixing Harry and Sirius with a hard stare. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”</p><p>Harry couldn’t keep still while they waited for him to return. He started pacing through the living room, until Draco grabbed his arm.</p><p>“Stop that and sit back down. You’re making me nervous.”<br/>“Sorry.” Harry retook his seat on the couch, still nearly vibrating with energy.<br/>Sirius wasn’t much better. He looked ready to jump up and apparate to Hogwarts at a moment’s notice.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity Remus returned with Ron and Hermione in tow. Hermione still looked a bit pale and Harry felt guilty when he realized that he hadn’t given any thought to her injuries.</p><p>“We’re going to Hogwarts?” Ron asked, once they had all sat down.<br/>“I guess we’ll have to.” Remus said resignedly. “We need to get that horcrux before he has a chance to move it.”<br/>“Maybe Hermione should stay here.”<br/>She huffed. “I’m fine, Ron. And you’re not leaving me behind.”<br/>“You got tortured only a couple of hours ago!”<br/>“Remus treated my injuries and I slept a bit. I feel a lot better.”<br/>“Are you sure you’re well enough?” Draco cut in. “We’re probably running right into battle.”<br/>“I told you, I’m fine. No need to worry about me. Now… weren’t we about to make a plan?”</p><p>Draco knew that it was no use arguing with her. And if he were in her shoes, he wouldn’t want to be left behind either.</p><p>“We need to get going. We’re wasting time.” Harry complained.<br/>“We need a plan first.” Draco argued.<br/>“But…”<br/>“No buts, you bull-headed Gryffindor! We’re not rushing into this without thinking it through first.”</p><p>He could see Remus trying unsuccessfully to stifle a grin. “Draco is right. We need a plan. We can hardly just apparate to the gates and walk into Hogwarts.”<br/>“Why not?” Sirius asked.<br/>“Because he warned Snape that we might come.”<br/>“But… I thought Snape was on our side.” Ron wondered.<br/>“I think he is…”<br/>“I still don’t trust old Snivellus.” Sirius grumbled.<br/>Remus rolled his eyes. “Be that as is may, Snape is not the only death eater at Hogwarts. There are at least two more. And he might have warned them as well.”</p><p>“We could apparate to Hogsmeade and walk from there.” Harry suggested.<br/>But Remus shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to risk it. There have been rumours about death eaters and even dementors being stationed there.”<br/>“What about the Shrieking Shack?” Sirius said.<br/>“We shouldn’t risk that, either. Peter knows about it. He might have told the other death eaters.”<br/>“Right. The fucking rat… Oh, I know. The Hog’s Head!”</p><p>“The Hog’s Head?” Draco repeated dubiously. The pub had always had a certain ... reputation.<br/>“Yeah. We can apparate straight into the pub. It should be closed now. And Abe is part of the Order.”<br/>“Abe?” Harry asked.<br/>“The owner of the Hog’s Head. Aberforth.”<br/>“He’s Dumbledore’s brother.” Remus explained.<br/> The kids stared at him in surprise. “Dumbledore’s brother owns the Hog’s Head?”<br/>“They had a rather… complicated relationship.”</p><p>Which was probably an understatement, if the look on Remus’ face was anything to go by. But they had no time to discuss that now. They needed to get a move on. If Dumbledore’s brother really was part of the Order, his pub was probably their best bet. Maybe he would even be able to tell them the best way to get into Hogwarts undetected.</p><p>“So… the Hog’s Head it is?” Draco asked.</p><p>Remus sighed. “I guess so. As Sirius said, we can apparate right into the pub. Aberforth should be able to tell us whether or not it’s safe to walk up to the castle. Maybe he even knows a safe way in. If not, we’re at least close enough to look for a better way.”</p><p>“Why are we still sitting here? Let’s go!” Sirius urged.<br/>“Calm down, Padfoot. We still haven’t got much of a plan.”<br/>“Come on, Moony. We’ve got the start of a plan and no idea what to expect. Let’s just take it from there. We won’t be any better prepared if we talk it through for another hour.”</p><p>“I hate it when you’re right.” the werewolf sighed, before turning to address the kids. “Okay, we’ll apparate together, straight into the Hog’s Head. Like Sirius said, we don’t know what to expect there, so keep your wands ready. Harry, I think it would be best if you and Draco put on the invisibility cloak. Just in case.”</p><p>Harry nodded, pulled out the cloak and put it over Draco and himself.</p><p>“Everyone ready?” Remus checked. “Okay then, on the count of three. One, two, three…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments and Kudos make my day!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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